dé-finition/méthode #172: de pile en pile. soixantième thème: transit (droit de visite) 1983

Claude Rutault made *dé-finition/méthode #172: de pile en pile. soixantième thème: transit (droit de visite)* sometime in the last half-century, using paint, well, maybe! What strikes me about this work is the way it sits between painting and sculpture. It’s so understated, yet there’s a clear process at play. The uniformity of the panels, their slightly off-white colour, really speak of a system, a method. I’m drawn to the stack of panels against the wall. It’s almost like a key, hinting at a logic that we can’t quite grasp, and the haphazard scattering of other panels feels like the key has been deliberately obscured. I like how Rutault embraces a sense of incompleteness. I’m reminded of Robert Ryman’s exploration of white paint and Sol LeWitt’s use of systems, yet Rutault brings a certain playful poetry to these ideas. It’s a reminder that art is an ongoing conversation, always open to new interpretations.