Gift of James G. Pepper, Class of 1965

Dine's work in characterized by a chaotic energy and a repetition of imagery. These images have included the Venus de Milo, an iron gate, various tools, and, as is depicted here, a heart. Hearts have been a consistent motif throughout Jim Dine’s long career, finding their way into his paintings, prints, and sculptures. For Dine, hearts represent a “template for emotions, [...] a landscape for everything.” Like his fellow Pop artists, such as Warhol and Oldenburg, Dine is interested in common forms and everyday objects, both as subject matter and material. His work is meant to convey emotion through the use of the familiar and the commonplace.