Mose Tolliver
Bio
Moses Ernest Tolliver (July 4, 1918-20 – October 30, 2006) was an artist based in Montgomery, Alabama. He was known as "Mose T", after the signature on his paintings, signed with a backwards "s". He regularly worked with "pure house paint" on plywood, creating whimsical and sometimes erotic pictures of animals, humans, and flora. His familiar themes also included watermelons and birds. Tolliver's painting style is referred to as flat, full frontal or straight profile with a muted palette. Never able to walk well following his injury, he painted many self portraits with crutches or would sit on his bed and balance whatever surface he was painting on, on his knees. Tolliver's themes were drawn from his own experience.
CV
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2023
Death of an Outsider, SHRINE, Los Angeles, CA
2020
Good Luck, SHRINE, New York, NY
2018
Annex, SHRINE, New York, NY
1993
Retrospective, Museum of American Folk Art, New York, NY
Round the Rord (world), 1970, 31.5 x 29.5 in.
Quail Bird, paint on wood, 15 x 18.5 in.
Fish Out Bird, 1978, house paint on masonite, 14 x 18.5 in.
Mountain Bird, 1978, enamel and house paint on wood, 12 x 15.5 in.
French Hopper, 1978, enamel and house paint on wood paneling, 14 x 13 in.
Telva Morning After, ca 1970s, house paint on metal sign, 20 x 13 in.
John Star Movie Star Man, 1986, house paint and enamel on found wood, 38 x 24.5 in.
Tobloho, ca 1970s, enamel and house paint and marker on plywood, 7.25 x 15.25 in.