Pletka is known for his dramatic realist paintings in which he combines spirituality, fantasy, Surrealism, and the history of the West. He often draws upon the rich heritage of the American Southwest, primarily its Native American and Hispanic cultures. The shocking—and sometimes troubling—realism of his style can be seen in the Museum's triptych, featuring three depictions of the angel of death and a rendering of Christ as a bulto, a wooden devotional object carried during religious processions.