Melody Tuttle: Solitary Vices

Melody Tuttle often creates scenes with an underlying geometric arrangement paired with a calculated use of representational elements, and a precise but elegant gesture. Pairing sometimes suggestive poses with indicators of malaise, introspection, and domesticity, Tuttle’s signature illuminated figures often recall contemporary painting icons like Alex Katz, Maria Lassnig, or Pieter Doig with a subtle negotiation between minimal and detailed effects that distinguishes her own visual strategy. Beyond her amalgam of art-historical and cultural influence and the sleek compositional ease that pervades each of her canvases, the undeniable appeal of Tuttle’s work derives from an approach that is both effortlessly stylish and deeply considered.

Melody Tuttle (b. 1985 Des Moines, IA) received a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design in 2011 and an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2017. Tuttle has recently been included in group exhibitions at Hashimoto Contemporary, New York, Hyacinth Gallery, New York, and Monya Rowe Gallery in New York. She has presented solo exhibitions at Thierry Goldberg, New York, UTA Artist Space, Los Angeles, Great State Gallery, Chicago, and Hyacinth Gallery, New York. Her second solo exhibition at Hyacinth is scheduled for September 2024.