Alice Tippit’s Playful Exploration of Erotica

Alice Tippit’s solo exhibition, “Rose Obsolete,” at the DePaul Art Museum is an exploration of perception and ambiguity. Tippit’s work draws on the visual challenges posed by Gestalt psychology, reminiscent of illusions like Rubin’s vase. Her paintings, characterized by their simplicity and symmetry, often shift between recognizable forms such as snakes, smiles, blouses, and bodies. Tippit’s deliberate compositions invite viewers to engage deeply, questioning the reliability of visual and verbal language to convey experience.

Her artistic process is meticulous, each piece meticulously crafted without tape, showcasing sharp edges and layers that reward close inspection. Tippit’s artworks, like “Monitor” (2015) and “Follow” (2019), embody ambiguity, challenging viewers to determine meanings from their forms. Her series “Rose Obsolete” extends this challenge to language through word pairings that mirror her visual puzzles, encouraging endless associations.

The exhibition, Tippit’s first solo museum show, also highlights the DePaul Art Museum’s role in showcasing local artists—a role threatened by the museum’s impending closure due to university budget decisions. The closure has sparked community outrage, emphasizing the importance of such spaces in the Chicago art scene. Despite the uncertain future, “Rose Obsolete” remains a testament to Tippit’s ability to navigate and question the complexities of visual language, urging viewers to reflect on the layered narratives within her work.