Richard Tuttle Essay

766 Words2 Pages

“One of the most powerful motivations in my life’s work has been expanding, because I want to make an art that works for everyone on earth, not just people from a certain place.” When viewing his work, this statement by contemporary artist Richard Tuttle, proves itself true. Richard Tuttle is known for his sculptures, installations, and drawings which often feature a small scale, occupy unusual spaces, and are comprised of common material such as paper, wood, string, and wire. Tuttle’s Other (2009) fits within the category of his own work, offering a bright orange arch, made of paper pulp, bolted into place by two wooden brackets. Universality, the ability of something to be understood or appreciated by anyone in the world, is an essential …show more content…

Due to their commonality and utility, these materials are often overlooked as a means to an end. However, rather than making art out of wood and paper, Other displays these materials as the art itself. The wooden brackets, for example, with the exception of the artist’s signature written on them, appear ordinary, as if purchased from a furnisher store and mounted onto the museum wall. The natural appearance and smooth texture of the wood creates a sharp contrast with the vivid color and crisp surface of the paper arch. Like the materials, these textures are very well known to viewers, making it possible to feel the work without the need to touch it. Therefore, the universality of these materials, and the texture they carry with them, serves to connect the viewer with the work on a tactile level. Another example of universality appears upon closer examination of the construction of the paper pulp arch. Paper pulp, initially used by printmakers to create paper, surfaced as an art medium in the 1970s, and has been a recurring material in Tuttle’s work. Paper pulp, like all paper, is made out of wood and glued into its desired shape. In Other, Richard Tuttle further develops the characteristic of universality by selecting materials that are only found in nature, a concept which can be understood and appreciated by all

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