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.

Exhibition History

Selected Exhibitions

1993 Retrospective, Museum of American Folk Art, NYC

 

Round the Rord (world), 1970, 31 1/2x 29 1/2in


Quail Bird, paint on wood, 15 x 18½ in


Fish Out Bird, 1978, house paint on masonite, 14 x 18 1/2in


Mountain Bird, 1978, enamel and house paint on wood, 12 x 15 1/2in


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 inches


John Star Movie Star Man, 1986, house paint and enamel on found wood, 38 x 24 1/2in


Tobloho, ca 1970s, enamel and house paint and marker on plywood, 7.25 x 15.25 inches