By Marley Malenfant/se news editor
As students walk by the SE Campus Art Corridor II, the artwork for an exhibit titled Traces hangs on the walls for display.
Traces is a collection of various drawings and paintings by art instructors Sarina Fuhramann, Kazuko Goto, Elizabeth Holden and Suzanne Perez.
All of the pieces in the collection are in an acrylic art style. NE art instructor Perez said she wasn’t used to working in that style, but she enjoyed the challenge.
“They’re out of my comfort zone, but I had fun,” she said.
Perez said paintings such as the ones on display can have a personal connection to the artist and the viewer.
Some people have emotional reactions to pieces.
“Art may bring back a memory and spark something,” she said. “They may remember a time they fell in love or a childhood past, and it takes them somewhere.”
Perez said she gets her inspiration from other art.
“I used two different modes, personal observation and a lot of photos from different places,” she said. “I use those as a springboard.”
Goto, a studio art instructor with work in the collection, said she likes to use her senses when creating art.
“I like to look, touch, sniff and imagine,” she said. “It’s a collection of things in the past.”
SE student Tu Vu said he’s worked on art similar to what is featured in Traces.
“At first, it’s crappy. It’s hard to point out what you want to do,” he said.
“I have this project where I have to draw the inside of the SE complex. So I have understanding about what those artists go through.”
SE student Annie Owenga has a class in the Art Corridor II.
She said the start of an art project could be unclear.
“You don’t see what you want at first,” she said. “Once you see a view, you know what needs to be done.”
SE student Emily Grogan said art is all about what you see.
“It depends on what you draw,” she said. “You pick what you’re drawing. It’s more of what you see in your mind than what you know.”
SE student Jennifer Phan said the work in Traces is great artwork.
“Traces, to me, was a breath of fresh air, she said.
“I always imagined landscapes to be done big and to the point, but with these works, they are very small and sublime. Instead of just seeing the lands, I’m feeling them.”
SE student Chris Cole said that Traces is unforgettable.
“Their memories have now become my memories,” he said. “It’s a gift to us.”
