Trish Tillman’s large modular wall works are comprised of hand shaped wood pieces, padded and upholstered in vinyl and leather. Bold formal concerns of color, shape and symmetry give way to more subtle and intimate references, the pieces evoking the body, diner and club interiors, handbags, and recollections of vintage decor from a grandparent’s home. Minimal accents like zippers, rings, and tabs hint at movement and disquieting glimpses of fetish. The sculptures have a totemic quality, conjuring their own secret language and mixing the appearance of manufactured slickness with personal history.
Trish Tillman was born in Chicago and lives and works in New York. She received an MFA from School of Visual Arts and a BFA from James Madison University. Tillman has had exhibitions at Techne Arts Center, Oceanside, CA; Andrew Rafacz Gallery, Chicago, IL; University of Tennessee Downtown Gallery, Knoxville, TN; The National Arts Club, New York, NY; Fort Makers, New York, NY; New Discretions, New York, NY; The Arlington Arts Center, VA; Visual Arts Center of Richmond, VA; Hilde L.A., Los Angeles, CA; Tiger Strikes Asteroid, Philadelphia, PA; CYDONIA, Fort Worth, TX; Real Tinsel, Milwaukee, WI; Fireplace Project, East Hampton, NY; Present Company, New York, NY; Cindy Rucker Gallery, New York, NY; Regina Rex, New York, NY; Emerson Dorsch, Miami, FL; Civilian Art Projects, Washington, DC; and Elephant Art Space, Los Angeles, CA; among others. Press includes Artforum, The Washington Post, Cultured Magazine, Sculpture Magazine, The Observer, Art F City, Vogue, Elephant Magazine, Juxtapoz Magazine, Art Spiel, and R Home Magazine. Residencies include the Visual Arts Center of Richmond, VA; Kala Chaupal Festival at Diggi Palace, Jaipur, India; and the Fountainhead Residency, Miami, FL. Tillman was a recipient of the 2019 Hopper Prize.