By Lauren Pinkston

On January 21, the O’Connor Art Gallery opened a new exhibit called Making Room. The Dominican community welcomed artists Gabrielle Garland and Susan Kraut to explore and discuss the perspective of domestic interiors and their portrayal in art.

Making Room featured Garland’s drawings and Kraut’s paintings of domestic interiors. Their diverse portrayals of these scenes show the impact of perspective in the artistic depiction of life in the home.

The opening reception took place from 4 to 7 p.m. on January 21. It was preceded by an active discussion in which participating artist Susan Kraut discussed her inspiration and artwork. Students, staff, faculty and community members attended and contributed to the conversation. Meanwhile, a live feed from Garland’s studio in New York City showed her progress in current artistic endeavors.

Senior Alyssa Davis said the artist talk was her favorite part. Davis said, “you look at these pieces and you don’t know what their process was… so this is a great way to talk to them and see how their process works with each unique piece.” Davis is double majoring in painting and graphic design.

Marcela Andrade, O’Connor Art Gallery director, hosted the event. Andrade said, “There are different ways of experiencing a space…looking at it from different vantage points.”

One of Kraut’s paintings depicts a dining room with a window looking out to the forthcoming Hurricane Sandy. Kraut said, “In an interior space you feel very safe and in control.”

While the artists both focus on interiors in their artwork, their artistic style and perspectives vary greatly. Garland’s work may be described as enigmatic because her drawings lack clear precision and perfection of perspective. They have a sense of wonderment and fun. Kraut’s paintings are more realistic depictions of scenes in the home.

Kraut said, “You have this flat surface… and you can make the allusion that there’s space… I just think it’s magic.”

Andrade said attendees seemed to have their own perspective of the art and what it meant to them. She said, “How we experience a room and make it our own is very autobiographical.”

Andrade said the exhibit shows a persistent, yet invisible human presence. Interacting with the artwork leaves room for individual interpretation. The opening

reception gave attendees an opportunity to interact with the artists and speculate on their own analysis. Andrade said: “It’s a great way to communicate, make connections, talk to different artists… a lot of people don’t know about the fourth floor and it’s a great way to get people up here and looking and seeing what’s going on in the art department.”

The display is free and is open to all until March 6. The O’Connor Art Gallery is located on the fourth floor of Lewis Hall in room 404.