Sandcastle

Description

March 28, 2009
Anne Truitt studied and worked in psychology before turning to a career in art after taking a night class in sculpture. Her initial sculptures were figurative, but as her work developed, it became more abstract. From early on she was fascinated by the power that color has over how a work is created and perceived. “What I want is color in three dimensions, color set free,” she said, “to a point where, theoretically, the support should dissolve into pure color.” The shape of a piece of Truitt’s sculpture is suggestive of some sort of structure, but it is the color that imbues it with a sense of vitality.
Color is an important element in Sandcastle. The paint is built up in layers so that it acquires depth and becomes not just an element of surface, but also of form. Unlike many other Minimalist artists, however, Truitt uses color to impart a sense of personal meaning; her paintings often refer to childhood memories or familiar landscapes, even if they are not expressly visible. In the case of Sandcastle, these embedded allusions encourage the viewer to think about how a piece of wood might relate to a sandcastle.