【Introduction】
From the mid-1960s, Tuttle used common items: paper, scrap wood and metal, plastic, wire, etc. to create sculptures. Until that time, these items tended to be overlooked and their ability to play a major role was largely denied, but through the exquisite work by Tuttle, they became liberated objects. At a time when size and the mass of materials were used to overpower spaces, Tuttle focused on creating peculiar, sometimes even improvised works. The fundamental shape of his early freestanding simple forms were his drawings transferred to canvas, wood, and wire to become three-dimensional objects.
His works also include 8 cm strands of rope affixed to walls by pins. In Japan at the same time (early 1970s), the “Mono-ha” movement used similar materials and techniques to actively explore and present materials as they were.
Tuttle has diversified his materials over time and the forms have also become more complicated, but when we, the viewers, look at his works, we can see that the basic materials or natural items, with power that exceeds the boundaries of our world, continue to be used.
【Concept】
In pieces were both stoicism and abundance coexist, there is always an acute sense of adventure. As arts tackle the issues after the 20th century, Tuttle continues to search his independent style, to question the concepts of composition and frame, explore the balance between line and volume, and merge the mystical with the material. His multi-varied path leads to rows of small objects, each having a different form, or an installation in a corner. With objects hanging in your line of sight, the space will shift from the ordinary to a type of sacred space. In the words of Tuttle himself, art is reality-based, not imitation based.
“There is no way out—but there is always a way out, and that’s what we find in significance. It’s this sort of significance, I would like to show people—so, maybe, the question is, where to find this significance, i.e., in the special (masterpiece) or the everyday?” (Richard Tuttle. “In which to Find Significance”. In Richard Tuttle – Selected Works: 1964-1994. P.12. Sezon Museum. 1995.)
