Accession Number
1984/2.57

Title
Sandcastle

Artist(s)
Anne Truitt

Artist Nationality
American (North American)

Object Creation Date
1963

Medium & Support
acrylic on wood

Dimensions
109 7/16 in x 18 9/16 in x 8 in (277.97 cm x 47.15 cm x 20.32 cm);18 9/16 in x 109 7/16 in x 8 in (47.15 cm x 277.97 cm x 20.32 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. H. Gates Lloyd

Label copy
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.

Subject matter
Anne Truitt's painted minimalist sculpture incorporates two distinct themes: first, a formalistic approach to shape and the exploration of minimalist form and the relationship between color and form; second, a distinct subject matter -- here a sandcastle and the associated themes of play.

Physical Description
A long, low rectangular with a painted band of green extends around the rectangle at floor level. The upper half is painted off-white. About three fourths of the length is uniform. The other quarter, at the viewer's right, has several features: two depressed areas, and two raised areas, which are painted in a brighter white.

Primary Object Classification
Sculpture

Primary Object Type
abstract sculpture

Collection Area
Modern and Contemporary

Rights
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Keywords
Abstract (fine arts style)
Minimal
abstraction
acrylic paintings (visual works)
childhood
modern and contemporary art
play (recreation)
sand
wood (plant material)