Biography
Sophy Tuttle is a visual artist currently residing in Medford, Massachusetts. She received her BFA in Illustration from Rhode Island School of Design in 2008 and her MFA in Interdisciplinary Art from the University of Hartford Art School in 2019. Influenced by artists such as Walton Ford, Mark Dion, Alexis Rockman, and Swoon, Sophy uses visual storytelling to reimagine the future, re-situate our position in the web of life, and create new narratives that explore regenerative, resilient culture-building among all forms of life.
Artist Statement
My paintings, sculptures, and installations examine humanity’s collective priorities for the planet we share. They suggest storylines through both realist representation and surrealist motifs, blending contrasting spaces and interweaving past, present, and future to explore what scholar Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing calls “blasted landscapes.” I draw upon disparate inspirations to do so, including the aesthetic and methodology of the natural sciences, the compositional strategies of the Mexican muralismo movement, and the reverence and singularity of Russian Orthodox icon paintings. These seemingly unrelated inspirations are drawn from my life experience and the social and cultural ideas I have been exposed to. Although often stemming from a deeply personal place, my work leaves space for the creative interpretation of the viewer, so that she can begin to see herself as a collaborator in redefining stories of progress.