ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Claude Rutault's Methodical Redefinition of Painting

artist · 2026-04-23

Claude Rutault's practice is examined through his radical approach to painting, which echoes the earlier conclusions of Malevich and Rodchenko that painting could only be ideologically useless and socially utopian. Rutault's method involves stretching a canvas on a frame and painting it the same color as the wall on which it is hung. This approach advocates for the disappearance of the artwork: the existence of his painting is subject to the vagaries of life, and it can only be temporary, since moving or renovating an apartment will lead to refreshing the painting with a new coat of paint. The article from artpress, dated July 1997, discusses how Rutault's work challenges traditional notions of permanence and authorship in art.

Key facts

  • Claude Rutault's painting method involves a canvas painted the same color as the wall it hangs on.
  • Rutault's approach is compared to the ideas of Malevich and Rodchenko.
  • The artwork's existence is temporary and subject to changes in its environment.
  • Moving or renovating a space leads to repainting the work.
  • The article was published in artpress in July 1997.
  • Rutault advocates for the disappearance of the artwork.
  • The work is ideologically useless and socially utopian according to the comparison.
  • The method redefines painting as a contingent, site-specific practice.

Entities

Artists

  • Claude Rutault
  • Kazimir Malevich
  • Alexander Rodchenko

Institutions

  • artpress

Sources