Emily Plewe

Emily Plewe grew up in Centerville, Utah, and attended Wellesley College where she studied art and literature. She then pursued a master’s degree at BYU. Emily and her husband, John, who is also an artist and whose work will be featured in the next issue of Dialogue, lived for many years in Los Angeles before moving to Salt Lake City. They now live in the Sugarhouse neighborhood where Emily is involved in the community council. As a child, Emily would explore the night sky with her grandfather who taught her astronomy which he brought to life through his telescope. This interest was augmented when she later learned about quantum mechanics and particle physics. Plewe’s abstract paintings are inspired by her interest in “space, energy and inter￾actions—both physical and metaphysical. I am fascinated by the ambiguous and mysterious spatial depth it is possible to achieve with painting.” Her work reflects the intersection of her interest in physics and astronomy with principles of design and with achieving a sense of space and form in her paintings. One of the strengths of Plewe’s work is the dynamic tension in her compositions between the two-dimensional shapes and surface quality of the paintings and the sense of three-dimensional space that she achieves. The shapes and textures are not merely on the surface but appear to float in the depth of the field of color they inhabit. Emily gives great credit regarding her decision to pursue art to Ken Baxter from whom she took a plein air painting class in high school. It was he who planted the seed that one could pursue art as a career. More of Plewe’s work can be seen at www.umbergallery.com/emilyplewe/.