This site specific sculpture at the Crystal Bridges Art Museum in Bentonville, Arkansas, was created by artist Gabriel Dawe in 1973. The piece, entitled Plexus #27, is made of thin colored threads woven between hooks attached to the walls, which form ethereal surfaces and forms that change depending on your location within the space. These three-dimensional forms developed through the use of straight lines or strings. From each vantage point you experience a unique set of spatial circumstances. This work illuminates the ultimate challenge when we attempt to develop a common understanding as individuals perceive the same situation differently with unique viewpoints.
Dawe was inspired by watching his grandmother hand embroider fabrics in Mexico City. Interestingly, these skills were passed down to the female members of his family but not to him. This work is clearly a critique of traditional gender roles and the social norms that permeate our everyday lives and trajectories. The small daily activities and routines we develop growing up have a profound impact on who we become. As a child we rarely have control over these activities, nor do we understand their long term impact on our lives. Part of becoming an adult is reflecting on those traditions and recalibrating our activities to support our aspirations