Mose Tolliver facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mose Tolliver
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Mose Tolliver at his home in Alabama, 2002
|
|
| Born | July 4, 1918-20 |
| Died | October 30, 2006 Montgomery, Alabama
|
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Self-taught |
Moses Ernest Tolliver (born between 1918 and 1920 – died October 30, 2006) was an American artist. People often called him "Mose T." This was because he signed his paintings with a special signature: "Mose T" with a backward "s."
Contents
About Mose Tolliver
Early Life and Family
Mose Tolliver was born in the Pike Road area of Alabama. He was one of 12 children. His parents, Ike and Laney Tolliver, were sharecroppers. This means they farmed land owned by someone else and paid rent with a share of their crops.
We don't know his exact birth year. But we do know he was born on Independence Day, between 1918 and 1920. He only went to school until the third grade. He said he wasn't very interested in school.
In the 1930s, his family moved to Montgomery, Alabama. Mose helped support his parents and many siblings. He did many different odd jobs to earn money.
Starting His Art Career
In the early 1940s, Mose married his childhood friend, Willie Mae Thomas. They had 13 children together. Eleven of their children lived to be adults.
Later, in the 1960s, Mose worked at a furniture factory. He had a serious accident there. A very heavy load of marble fell on his legs. This injury made it hard for him to walk well.
After the accident, Mose started painting. He did this to fight boredom and pain. Painting helped him pass the long hours when he couldn't do much else. Some people think he started painting only after his injury. But Mose said he had painted before the accident too.
He had a unique way of painting. He would often turn his paintings upside-down. Then he would paint a picture, like an animal or a landscape, from different angles. His painting titles were also very unusual. Some examples are "Smoke Charlies" or "Scopper Bugs."
Mose Tolliver passed away on October 30, 2006. He died from pneumonia in Montgomery, Alabama.
Mose Tolliver's Art Style
After his accident, Mose saw paintings by Raymond McLendon, his boss's brother. Mose felt he could paint too. The McLendons offered to teach him, but he said no. He wanted to create his own unique style.
This is when he started signing his work "Mose T" with a backward "s." His paintings often showed nature, animals, or even pictures of himself. He also often painted watermelons and birds.
Mose Tolliver's painting style is called "flat." This means his subjects look like they are seen straight on or from the side. He used calm, soft colors in his art.
He also made his own ways to hang his paintings. Many of his later works have a metal soda can ring. This was used to hang them up. For example, a "Quail Bird" might fly over a cotton field. Or a "Diana" or "Moose Lady" might be shown on an exercise bike.
Because he couldn't walk well after his injury, he painted many self-portraits with crutches. He would also sit on his bed and balance his painting surface on his knees. Mose Tolliver's art themes came from his own life and experiences.
Exhibitions and Recognition
Mose Tolliver's artwork has been shown in many important places. These include the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC. His art has also been displayed at the Philadelphia College of Art and the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts.
Some of Mose Tolliver's relatives have tried to copy his style. They even signed their work like he did. This can sometimes make it hard for art collectors to find an original painting by Mose. His daughter, Annie, was also an artist.
Art Collections and Shows
Mose Tolliver's art is part of many permanent art collections. These are places where his art is kept and shown all the time. Some of these include:
- National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
- Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
- Smithsonian American Art Museum
- Centre Pompidou, Paris
- Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
- High Museum of Art, Atlanta
- de Young Museum, San Francisco
- Birmingham Museum of Art
- Akron Art Museum
- University of Michigan Museum of Art
- Minneapolis Institute of Art
Many places have also had special shows of Mose Tolliver's work. These include:
- National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
- Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
- Deyoung Museum, San Francisco, CA
- Smithsonian American Art Museum, DC
- Retrospective, American Folk Art Museum, New York, NY
- Passionate Visions of the American South, New Orleans, LA
See also
