Mirror Dish
Artist
Nancy Pletos
(American, 1950-2016)
Datec. 1984
MediumWood, ceramic, mirrored glass, beads
Dimensions1 1/2 × 12 1/2 × 9 3/4 in. (3.8 × 31.8 × 24.8 cm)
ClassificationsSculpture
Credit LineGift of John Hilberry, 2015
Object numberUAC6419
DescriptionOriginally pursing academia to earn a degree in Mathematics, Nancy Pletos eventually got sick of solving problems with definite answers... so she transferred her studies to Art to try and solve problems with an "infinite amount of answers". Pletos created wood sculptures that had growing elements such as dirt and seeds within them, as well as more functional items, such as hand mirrors and jewelry boxes. She was described as a woman who appreciated solitude and to be in her own world, as she explored the elements of her childhood within her work with beads, seashells, bits of colored glass, silvery mirrors, pinecones, and pussy willows.
Mirror Dish, one of Pleto's functional pieces of art, is now at home in Wayne State University's Tierney Alumni House. It is a beautiful, delicate sculpture that feels nostalgic to an older, simpler time. The brass details with beads, porcelain flowers, and wood all framing the mirror is in some ways a metaphor to reflect on the past.
Text by Emily Lane Borden
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