PhD (2019)

'All There in the Weave: Duality & Unity in the Art of Richard Tuttle'

This investigation into the art of American Postminimalist Richard Tuttle (1941- ) responds to his 2014-15 shows at the Tate Modern Turbine Hall and Whitechapel Gallery. These events spotlighted the prevalence of textiles and related materials in his work, suggesting that they hold important meanings for him. In identifying and addressing Tuttle's unstinting focus on polarity and unity, the thesis homes in on artworks from throughout his long career to probe their references to structural relations intrinsic to weaving.

Acknowledging the impact on Tuttle's art of his life-long autodidactic enquiry and self-declared mysticism, the project also explores his philosophical and spiritual beliefs. His work is theorised as a weave-constructing response to the ruptures he perceives in a polarised experience of reality. An in-depth analysis of the ancient, ubiquitous and cutting-edge domain of weaving and textiles uncovers mechanisms at play in his unity-seeking exercise, which is founded on a deeply held belief in the efficacy of art.

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This project expanded a masters-level exploration of dualistic qualities visible in art, providing an opportunity to develop a more refined analytical framework. Its themes continue to inform my work, which also includes visual enquiry.

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