A pivotal moment arrived in 2010 when my artistic direction shifted dramatically, leading me to craft surreal, organic landscapes. Though I began with abstraction, these works soon became populated with peculiar blends of flora, cellular structures, and enigmatic symbols resembling extraterrestrial organisms. Later, I discovered that cancer was aggressively spreading through my body. When my physician displayed the tumor scans and magnified cell images, they bore an uncanny resemblance to my paintings—complete with tentacle-like forms. This revelation ignited a deep fascination with both the macrocosm and microcosm. It marked a significant departure from my previous 12 years as a Pop Surrealist portrait artist, who had been fixated on European nobility, medical history, and the Old Masters. This collection merges my passions for botany, microbiology, monsters, space, disease, and cellular evolution. Within these themes, I delve into the specific roles of organisms, medicine, DNA, and hybrids, guided purely by imagination and instinct. The aesthetic outcomes aren't derived from research or replication; instead, I invent my own nature within these miniature worlds. If cells and viruses can appear beautiful under magnification, I ponder what life forms might exist on other planets. Are we part of something larger? What would these cells look like after ten days—or ten million years? I primarily seek answers for myself. I avoid over-analysis or diagnosis because allowing viewers to interpret with their own perspectives is integral to the experience. Invertebrates, flowers, and human organs all stem from the same fundamental natural processes, and visualizing their fictional evolution at any stage is my greatest creative joy. This is my biomorphic garden party.
- Green Flower
- Emperor
- Czarina
- Pinky
- Dethroned
- Evolution
- Libertine Axon
- Eater
- Astronomer
- Lasher
- Heartbreaker
- Jerk
As of last September, I mark seven years since my initial cancer removal surgery. I remain entangled in the US healthcare system due to subsequent procedures related to my cancer, but my liposarcoma has not recurred in any expected locations. It's also nearly eight years since I began the series that transformed my artistic career. I still glance over my shoulder, but less frequently. I even learned to descend stairs for the first time in seven years! I've undergone extensive genetic counseling and DNA testing, and appeared in medical journals because of my unusual case, yet no explanation or genetic markers have been identified. Perhaps someday another subject will be found, or it will be dubbed 'Proffer syndrome' after my father and myself. I don't view 'cancer-free' as meaning it's completely gone (I was told it remains), but rather that I've progressed enough to avoid a full PTSD meltdown whenever I notice something amiss or feel unwell. Perhaps it will always reside within me but remain dormant, never again spawning new tumors—new creatures navigating through my body. Maybe one day a cure will emerge.
by Arabella Proffer
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