Top Floor: James Tuitt

21 Apr-4 Jun 2022

PV 21 Apr 2022, 6-9pm

Ziggurat

Overview

James Tuitt is a London-based artist who specialises in painting and goes by the moniker Stupendous Tremendous. Painting began in the early 2000s for Tuitt, who discovered his passion for conceptual art and different methods of making in his years at college. Tuitt studied Graphic Design and assisted several artists which influenced his vision and desire to create. Whilst navigating his way through different disciplines, Tuitt found himself working with fashion and customising props/clothing, a component that intentionally connects directly to his recent paintings.

Throughout his recent work, there are reference points to fashion editorial imagery, particularly black women models and striking poses. Captivated by this imagery, Tuitt pays homage to these editorials in his paintings often feeling as though the original fashion spreads were overlooked and never made magazine covers and including them in his paintings gives a sense of visibility to them in a method reminiscent of a social repost or signal boost.

His work displayed together as a collection references the history of afro-futurism with a collection of incredible black models, women and figures coming together with impact. Nightlife also impacts Tuitt’s work visually with his experience of London raves and clubs feeding into the visual language of his paintings, capturing the energy of distinctive rave flyers and club imagery and embedding this into his practice, whilst also embodying the wild feeling of escapism you get from the most exciting London clubs.