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

This is Claude Rutault’s ‘dé-finition/méthode #172: de pile en pile. soixantième thème: transit (droit de visite)’. From pile to pile, stack to stack, that’s the transit, the movement, the right of the visit. I can imagine the process of making this piece to be like setting up a chess board. I wonder if the artist was thinking about minimalism and conceptual art when arranging the grey tiles? Rutault’s act of laying them out, stacking them up, is such a simple gesture. And sometimes those are the most profound. The subtle variations in tone might remind us of the work of Agnes Martin. It’s like Rutault is in conversation with her! The painting in the tiles becomes about the process of making and arranging, emphasizing its physical presence. Maybe the artist encourages us to consider the ever-evolving nature of art. Ultimately, it’s this ongoing exchange of ideas that keeps art alive.