An Art Gallery in a Dental Office

I am a firm believer in the idea that artwork is the gateway to the soul and my office reflects that belief. In addition to being a dental practice, my office is also a gallery of original artworks of all media ranging from photography to paintings to hand-drawn pictures. Every wall features unique and beautiful artwork that is handpicked by me and each piece has a unique story attached to it. 

I believe that the artwork of an office represents the doctor. A stodgy office covered in unoriginal, mass-produced prints lacks character and is hardly comforting. Who wants to look at the same Andy Warhol print every time they visit? It's boring to be stuck staring at some poster while sitting in a dental chair, anyone would rather be engaged in an interesting and original piece of art. I like that my patients have something new and entertaining to see and think about while they wait.

A lot of the artwork hanging in the office is of abstract organic images of flowers, nature, and landscapes. Abstract art is always interesting and thought provoking, and since patients often have to come back multiple times for procedures these abstract pieces give them something new to think about every time they visit. Another reoccurring theme in my office is "flowers." Besides being generally aesthetically pleasing, flower artwork always changes in the way it is perceived depending on the mood of the viewer. They also create a calming atmosphere, which is important in a dental office. 

Decorating like this doesn't have to be expensive. The majority of the decor in my office is created by extraordinary local artists that I've discovered over the years, and some of them are happy to hang their work for free just to get recognition. Alan Allum is a local artist that I have most recently discovered. He is a fine art photographer who creates exactly the kind of artwork that I prefer — organic shapes, flowers, and nature. He recently installed a few pieces that are featured in our office: cool black and white photographs of automobiles printed on 3-foot squares of aluminum.

Auctions, eBay, museums, and city streets are a few other ways that I obtain our office art. Every piece of art has a unique story attached to it, often in how I discovered it. "The Money Tree," a beautiful and very colorful painting, was bought for only $0.58 at an auction. On eBay, I discovered a very talented artist from Tennessee named Virginia Kilpatrick. Many of her original paintings of beautiful landscapes are hanging in our office gallery. While walking the streets of New York City I stumbled upon a man trying to sell his pencil-drawn artwork, I bought two pictures of trees for $25 to help him out. These pictures are featured in our waiting room. To view more of the art in our unique office click here to see a slideshow.

 www.drsethrosen.com