[Richard Tuttle: Staying Contemporary]
The show is called "26" because
I have very consciously created a spinal column
of my New York exhibitions.
We have a reference--
an archival reference--
to an artist's development.
That being said, I'm also very committed
to the idea of making an art that
stays contemporary.
The actual artwork is a combination
of the kinds of things that only happen once
and the kinds of things that happen always.
Like the piece on the wall right here
is a piece that's meant to be finished
at the time of exhibit.
But, actually, it's composed of a paper element
which was done before.
But the painting-on-the-wall part
had to be made subsequently.
It captures the kind of experience
that cannot be repeated.
At the time, the general idea of achieving art
was to find your image--
done over and over again,
used and used and used until it was exhausted.
It was so much about coming to the end of things.
I was 22.
I was interested in things beginning.
I love materials on the one hand,
and I'm not interested in materials in the other.
How can somebody love materials
to the degree I do
and be absolutely not interested in materials?
And people talk about,
"Oh, Richard, you know, uses stuff that can be thrown away,"
and all that.
But, really what...
That's my solution for sustaining them,
because, yeah, I love a piece of tissue paper,
and I know the world doesn't.
There's making art,
and then there's the art of making art.
If this, in any way, is directed to the young artist,
I want to say, you know,
spend your time thinking about the art of making art.
Making pictures is a tool for life.
Life is so much more important than art,
but then art's importance
comes when it's a tool for life--
you know, when it makes life more available for us.
I can say, as a person,
I simply need a good picture.