Primary Hearts #4
Artist
Nancy Pletos
(American, 1950-2016)
Date1981
MediumWood, paint, sand, glass beads, glue
Dimensions9 1/2 × 7 1/4 × 3 in. (24.1 × 18.4 × 7.6 cm)
ClassificationsSculpture
Credit LineGift of Dennis Nawrocki, 2018
Object numberUAC6618
DescriptionPrimary Hearts No. 4 by Nancy PletosThis sculpture may seem simple enough at first glance, but it consumes the viewer by becoming more intricate the more time you spend with it. The name alludes to the composition, Primary Hearts, with the three primary colors being presented to the viewer.
The layout is orderly and geometric with evenly placed diamond shapes that make up the heart. Each of the diamond shapes that make up the heart has a staggered border, drawing your eye toward the middle of the shape where a flower sits.
The focal point lies within each of the diamonds, as well as the center of the piece, forcing you to confront the primary colors directly. The three primary colors are at the center of every color wheel, they define all others, the same way the heart defines us as people and our emotions. Pletos has special ability to invoke a playful nature in her work. The flowers bloom from the center, with a glass bead seated at the eye of each. While the sculpture is made out of wood, the gritty substance that covers the heart is made of a mix of paint and sand. While Pletos didn’t depict the dark subjects that many of the Cass Corridor artists, she did incorporate elements of the theme, including the use of found objects that characterizes her work.
Here, she exhibits two prominent symbols of love and femininity: hearts and flowers. While the subject matter can be considered as “womanly”, Pletos challenges those notions, using a muted style instead of a tender and gentle stereotype that many people associate with femininity. Being a up and coming woman artist of the 1970s, Pletos stands her ground by pushing normalized societal gender standards.
Nancy Pletos was initially a mathematics major at Wayne State, using themes throughout her work. She also received her BFA from Wayne and was taught by John Egner, a prominent Wayne professor who was a Yale graduate. Egner also used these geometric themes throughout his work.
Written by Colleen Sikorski
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