Over the past decade, Tull has produced bodies of work that navigate the interceding territories of aesthetic formalism and mysticism. For SLOW BURNERS, Tull has produced paintings that are carved in wax and encrusted with layers of paint. His choice of materials carries inherent symbolism, the wax used was collected and reutilized from a variety of sources including birthday candles, memorial and ceremonial candles, relaxation candles burned at home, casting-wax burned out from the art processes of works made by artist friends as well as collected used children’s crayons. The resulting melded material is inherently sentimental, carrying the poignancy of life, death and transformation. The carved surfaces negotiate a tension between organized pattern and organic chaos. These surfaces become a resonating ground for allegorical narrative. 

SLOW BURNERS also incorporates an ongoing series of functioning lanterns whose forms are unrefined, raw and unmistakably made by hand. Each unique lantern is emotive, conveying ephemeral aspects of the human condition. The lanterns bulbs and wires harnessing an electric current can be seen as a representation of the human body and states of human consciousness. Suspended from the ceiling and positioned on the floor, the lanterns spill and cast light of overlapping color. The grouping includes two recent lanterns made in collaboration with the renowned, historical Judson Studio located in Los Angeles, using innovative fused-glass techniques. 

Words and images via The Pit, Los Angeles.