Arabella Proffer’s “Private Empire: The National Portrait Gallery of Kessa†opens at Asterisk Gallery October 12th, 2007 – November 2nd, 2007
Opening Reception: Friday, October 12th from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m.
Asterisk Gallery 2393 Professor Ave. Cleveland, Ohio. 44113
Proffer has created a fictional National Portrait Gallery, whose works are a juxtaposition of modernity with aristocratic tradition. Her subjects sport twenty-first century punk and gothic styles as part of their formalwear, but without the mohawks and piercings, each portrait resembles typical late Renaissance and Stuart portraits. Proffer notes: “this series centers around balance of counter-culture and tradition; how punk or gothic styles might be adopted by aristocrats and socialites for serious portraits left as a reminder of their legacy. What was once considered rebellious has now become widely accepted. Traditionally, each portrait preserves what may later be a historical moment. In the case of this series however, the “historical†moments are of my own imaginationâ€
As complements to the portraits, Proffer has created genealogies, short biographies, country maps as well as a site-specific installation. Themes of decadence, beauty, and entitlement play throughout the series.