Mose TolliverWatermelon1990s
1990s
About the Item
- Creator:Mose Tolliver (1920 - 2006, American)
- Creation Year:1990s
- Dimensions:Height: 11.75 in (29.85 cm)Width: 23.94 in (60.81 cm)Depth: 0.25 in (6.35 mm)
- Medium:
- Movement Style:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:Storrs, CT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU33528386682
Mose Tolliver
In the late 1960s, Mose Tolliver’s career as a landscaper ended when a heavy crate of marble crushed his ankle. At the encouragement of his former employer, Tolliver began painting images with house paint directly onto discarded surfaces like furniture and wooden boards. He is now remembered as one of America’s most highly regarded self-taught artists of the late 20th century.
He was born in 1924 into a sharecropping family that lived near Montgomery, Alabama. After he was injured while working for the McLendon Furniture Company, Tolliver taught himself to paint birds, flowers and trees. He later expanded into painting images of people, animals, mythical creatures and religious symbols.
While sitting in his bedroom that doubled as a studio, Tolliver frequently laid his chosen material across his knees while he painted. His canvases consisted of broken furniture pieces, Masonite, old table tops and anything else Tolliver could get his hands on. He initially preferred to use oil-based paint, referring to it as “pure paint,” before moving on to water-based latex house paint.
With his limited materials, Tolliver often only had a few colors from which to choose. Despite these limitations, Tolliver achieved a harmony in his art that complemented his subjects and backgrounds.
Tolliver’s work was recognized by Mitchell Kahan, a former curator at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts. At Kahan’s recommendation, the museum held Tolliver’s first solo exhibition in 1981. A man of humble modesty and extreme dedication, Tolliver dismissed any notions of grandeur and once stated to the museum’s advertising team, “I’m not interested in art. I just want to paint my pictures.”
His work was part of the major 1982 exhibition Black Folk Art in America 1930–1980 at the Corcoran Gallery. It is now in the collections of the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Tolliver painted consistently until a severe stroke in 2005. He died on October 30, 2006.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of Mose Tolliver’s paintings.
You May Also Like
2010s Outsider Art Landscape Paintings
Wood, Oil
2010s Folk Art Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Lacquer, Oil
2010s Outsider Art Still-life Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
2010s Outsider Art Still-life Paintings
Oil, Board
Artist Comments
A pansy opens up, luring the viewer's gaze towards its center. Against the dark background, the deep mauve tones of the flower stand out, highlighting its del...
21st Century and Contemporary Outsider Art Still-life Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
A fully-bloomed pansy flower displays the velvety texture of its petals. The vein markings and subtle shadows define its delicate form. Artist Pamela Hoke pai...
21st Century and Contemporary Outsider Art Still-life Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
Vibrant purple irises with their deep green leaves capture the height of spring. Tucked between a sidewalk and a parking lot in artist Valerie Berkley’s nei...
21st Century and Contemporary Outsider Art Still-life Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
A pink chrysanthemum blooms in artist Pamela Hoke's lively floral piece. "An island friend gifted me with an enchanting autumnal bouquet from her farm," shares Pam. The playful waving magenta petals drew her attention and compelled her to paint the flower. Pam expresses the vibrant bloom in naturally flowing paint strokes.
About the Artist
Profound sensory experiences of nature unfold in artist Pamela Hoke's stylistically primitive representation of the world and her connection to it. Her vast array of subjects, including landscapes, florals, and animal portraits, emerge as intuitive expressions of energy in motion. She creates her own paint with natural earth and mineral pigments mixed with walnut oil—a beautiful and organic process used by the old masters. Pamela received her degree in fine arts at Ohio State University. Being fully immersed in the natural world ignited her creativity and increased her sense of belonging and overall well-being. She shares a semi-private studio with a group of painters on San Juan Island called the Friday Harbor...
21st Century and Contemporary Outsider Art Still-life Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
I have a succulent in a ceramic sugar skull pot in my kitchen and painted it from life. It has a wonderful expression on its face, and I enjoy the spikey succulent growing from the top like hair.
About the Artist
Kira Yustak paints fantastical scenes that come from her childhood memories, dreams, and the natural world. Each piece feels like part of a larger narrative of an alternative reality, rendered in a style she describes as comic realism. She feels art must trigger something inside the viewer’s soul.Kira currently lives in New Jersey and finds inspiration in the work of Lowbrow, Folk, and Surrealist artists.
Words that describe this painting: sugar skull, cactus, houseplant, garden, plants, day of the dead, succulent, still life, still life, representational, primitive, acrylic painting, green
21st Century and Contemporary Outsider Art Still-life Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
"This piece is a pure expression of my delight from poppies," declares artist Pamela Hoke. She draws detailed focus to the elegant blossom's soft petals and ...
21st Century and Contemporary Outsider Art Still-life Paintings
Oil
More From This Seller
View AllMid-20th Century Post-Impressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil
1950s Realist Landscape Paintings
Oil
Mid-20th Century Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Oil
20th Century Impressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil
20th Century Realist Landscape Paintings
Oil
1950s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Oil
