By Ashley Mackoul
Correspondent
The atmosphere was full of excitement as people began lining up outside the Art and Interactive Multimedia Building at around 1 p.m. The College’s new art gallery attracted alumni, students, family and friends with an inviting “welcome” sign outside the building. Everyone who attended the reception was offered free h’orderves and refreshments.
The exhibition called “That On Which We Are Standing” showcases artwork by a senior bachelor of fine arts professional practice class of 10 students. Each of them presented a different perspective. As a whole, their work challenges the concepts of body image, self-identity, memory and mapping. The gallery room consists of various art mediums such as photographs, interactive sculptures, GIFs and projections.
Walking into the gallery, the first eye-catching exhibit is a bench that appears to be composed of magazine shreddings. Emily Vogel, a senior art education major, named this work “Gravitas Vanitas.” Vogel finds well admired artistic value in using repurposed building materials and disposable household items.
The next exhibit was titled “Pictures of Myself” by Alyse Delaney, a senior visual arts major with a lens-based specialization. Delaney used exactly 675 black and white digital inkjet prints to record her life.
Delaney explained her inspiration for her art.
“I was interested in documenting my different selves throughout my life from when I was a little girl up until now,” she said. “I think it’s interesting how we interact with the camera at different ages.”
She also had another interesting work of art in which she “started at the latitude where (she) lived and worked (her) way around the circumference of the Earth.” This exhibit hung in multiple strips from the ceiling to the floor. Delaney pieced together numerous pictures of the Earth’s surface from land to water to make her vision a reality.
Rachel Perrotta, a senior visual art major with a lens-based specialization, is the brains behind a projection of photographs called “Live.” Her videography focuses on the ins and outs of heavy metal music displaying a personal viewpoint of the musician’s life.
“I am thrilled that TCNJ has an art gallery,” said Sandra Arnold, whose son is a student in the class. “I think it is awesome that there is the ability to utilize the area.”
The exhibit is open to the public and will remain on display until Thursday, May 4.
