In the Shadows

Beginning May 1, RJD Gallery will present Between the Shadows, a new solo exhibition for Erin Ruffino,  whose graphite-based mixed media works are rooted in reality, but also have magical and surreal properties that make viewers question the figures and settings

Ruffino, who is based in Fredonia, New York, is often inspired by the beauty around her, which occasionally appears in some of her work. “[Fredonia is] a historic college town where fickle clouds can’t decide whether to snow, drizzle, or let the sun peek through,” the artist says. “The trees are tall and mature here. Canadaway Creek, which cuts through the village and empties into nearby Lake Erie, changes in color and flow every day.”

The show title Between the Shadows was picked by the gallery, but Ruffino says shadows play a key role in the new pieces, many of which are done in graphite and also paired with another medium, such as gouache, pastel, gold marker or oil paint. While some of the works are moody and atmospheric landscapes that seem to come alive within the shadows, other works have brighter sections that offer up contrasting areas of light and dark. “In an artwork, shadows play a role beyond their technical definition as the point where light terminates,” she says. “Shadows are verb-like: states of happening in the dark, shiftings in the absence of illumination. Light may reveal, but shadow informs. Light may be seen, but shadows are felt. In the same vein that to ‘read between the lines’ is to understand an implied meaning, I think the title Between the Shadows is an invitation to seek feelings beneath the surface.”

When it comes to her materials and tools, Ruffino delights in the intricacies of each medium, especially graphite, which can be a tricky and exacting way of creating art.