|
| |
Mose Tolliver Passes Away
October, 2006
Renowned Folk Artist Mose Tolliver passed away on October 31, 2006 at Baptist Medical Center in Montgomery, Alabama. Mose suffered a stroke in 2001 and had been in declining health ever since. Born in Slapout, Alabama in a time when medical records were not a priority, Mose was never sure of the date of his birth and had no birth certificate. The general feeling among friends and family is that Mose was born in 1919, although a specific date in that year can't be determined. Mose was certainly well into his eighties at the time of his death.
MoseT, as he signed his paintings, helped define the genre that would become known as "Outsider Art." Always referring to his work simply as "My Pictures," Mose didn't really claim to be an artist. Indeed, but for an unfortunate accident, Mose may have never picked up a brush.
While working at McLendon Furniture in Montgomery, Alabama in the 1960s, a crate of marble fell on him, crushing his legs. This left him disabled and unable to walk without the aid of a walker.
From the beginning, Mose exhibited a distinctive style, some of which was dictated by his disability. His methods reflected the fact that his mobility was severely impaired.
He set up his work environment in his bedroom. Usually, he would place three or four cans of latex house paint, each a different color, on a square chest at the foot of his bed. He would only replace a can when it became empty. This is why his paintings only feature three or four colors.
He never mixed colors. Later on in his life, he would enlist his children to paint the white backgrounds for him and they would sometimes cut the discarded plywood into square shapes
Cleaning brushes was also a hardship for him, as was any activity that required him to leave his work area. He would sometimes work on as many as four pieces at once. This is especially true of his watermelon pieces. He would paint each color in its entirety on each piece, setting down the brush only when he no longer needed that color. He repeated this process for each individual color. This way, he could use a single brush for each color and place each used brush in a separate container of water for cleaning.
Latex house paint turned out to be a natural choice for MoseT since it was relatively inexpensive and water soluble. He once told me that he used the best paint you could get "Just like the paint on your house!"
Mose never used an easel. Instead, he preferred to work with the piece in his lap as he set on the edge of his bed. Because of this, he could not create large works. He could only manage pieces less than about twenty-four inches square. Pieces larger than this are rare and are highly sought after. You may see one here. He much preferred pieces in the twelve by twelve or sixteen by sixteen size range.
Another characteristic of Mose Tolliver's work is that he would often, but not always, attach beer can tabs to the back of his paintings as makeshift hangers. He passed this habit on to his daughter Annie and son William. On a visit with Mose in 1998, he told me that he had tested these hangers and that they would support over 200 pounds!
One aspect of his work that was not dictated by his disability was his choice of subject matter. Watermelons, trees, birds, fruits, vegetables, are all reflective of Mose's love of gardening and the outdoors and appear frequently in his work.
He also loved cats, and although his late wife Willie Mae did not share this love they were frequent subjects. Birds, snakes, fish, and even made-up combinations of animals like the jack-a-lope, fish-birds, and half-snakes all make occasional appearances in his work.
He produced portraits of famous people like George Washington, friends like "dry bones Charley" and self-portraits featuring himself with dual canes. Erotic paintings like the "bicycle girl" are favorites among some collectors.
Beginning in the early 1970s, Mose would hang his "pictures" from the trees in his front yard. Curious passers by began to buy them for a few dollars each. Soon MoseT had a local following of dedicated collectors and his fame began to spread.
In 1982, Mose Tolliver, along with Jimmie Lee Sudduth, another Alabama Folk Artist, was chosen to be part of the exhibition of Black American Folk Art at the Corcoran Gallery in Washington D.C. This exhibition sparked national interest in self-taught art and landed MoseT smack in the center of the contemporary art scene. With the death of Mose Tolliver, Jimmie Lee Sudduth at the age of 96 remains the only living artist that was chosen for this landmark exhibition.
Mose T has had countless exhibitions of his work which included shows at the National Gallery of Art, Metropolitan Art Museum, and several other galleries and museums throughout the United States and abroad. He was the subject of many books and magazine articles. His work may be found in many important collections including those of Kurt Gitter/Alice Rae-Yelen, Chuck and Jan Rosenak, and William Louis-Dreyfus.
With no conscious effort whatsoever, just following his own instinct, Mose Tolliver actually defined what it means to be a folk artist. He took useless, cast off materials and created beautiful works of art that hang in museums and important private collections throughout the world. He will be missed, but he will never be forgotten.
|
my cart