Artwork copyright Deborah Rutherford. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2018.

Artwork copyright Deborah Rutherford. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.

Artwork copyright Deborah Rutherford. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.

Artwork copyright Deborah Rutherford. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.

Artwork copyright Deborah Rutherford. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2018.

Artwork copyright Deborah Rutherford. Video courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2018.

Double Entendre, 1978

Deborah Rutherford
American

Location: Office of the Washington State Auditor, Olympia

About the Artwork

Textile artist Deborah Rutherford meticulously constructed Double Entendre to play with our experience of color. When you look at it straight ahead, it appears as a simple black and white grid. Looking at the piece from a sharp angle exposes a vibrant gridded spectrum. Blues gradually become greens on one side, while reds and pinks turn into rich orange on the other. She created this piece by first screen printing a black grid onto cotton fabric. She then hand-dyed each square to create gradations and vibrations of color. Finally, she pleated and stitched together each column of squares to create dimensionality and the two-sided effect.

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Office of the Washington State Auditor.

About the Artist

Artist Deborah Rutherford creates textile artworks that explore relationships between color, form, and perspective. She received a Master of Fine Arts in Textile Design from the University of Washington in Seattle.