Mose Tolliver Art
American, 1920-2006
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.
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Mose Tolliver Rattlesnake Painting on Wood Panel - Circa 1980's
By Mose Tolliver
Located in Phoenix, AZ
This is a wonderful naive painting on wood panel by the self-taught black artist
Mose Tolliver (1920-2000). It’s a great example of Mose’s unique folk-art style.
It features the rat...
Category
Late 20th Century Folk Art Mose Tolliver Art
Materials
Wood
Untitled Watermelon by Mose Tolliver AKA Moset
By Mose Tolliver
Located in Morton Grove, IL
Mose Tolliver AKA Mose T
Untitled Watermelon
wood, paint, soda tab
approx: 14 5 x 19.5"
date unknown
signed
Category
Late 20th Century Contemporary Mose Tolliver Art
Materials
Acrylic, Wood
Untitled Pink Eagle by Mose Tolliver AKA Moset INV# NP3173)
By Mose Tolliver
Located in Morton Grove, IL
Mose Tolliver AKA Mose T
Untitled Pink Eagle (INV# NP3173)
wood, paint, soda tab
approx: 10.25 x 16"
date unknown
signed
African American Artist
Category
Late 20th Century Contemporary Mose Tolliver Art
Materials
Wood, Acrylic
Untitled Spotted Animal by Mose Tolliver AKA Mose T (INV# NP3174)
By Mose Tolliver
Located in Morton Grove, IL
Mose Tolliver AKA Mose T
Untitled Spotted Animal
wood, paint, soda tab
approx: 23 x 33.25
date unknown
signed
Category
Late 20th Century Mose Tolliver Art
Materials
Wood, Acrylic
Untitled Birds by Mose Tolliver AKA Moset
By Mose Tolliver
Located in Morton Grove, IL
Mose Tolliver AKA Mose T
Untitled Birds
wood, paint, soda tab
approx: 14.5 x 19.5"
date unknown
signed
African American Artist
Category
Late 20th Century Contemporary Mose Tolliver Art
Materials
Acrylic, Wood
Untitled
By Mose Tolliver
Located in Saint Louis, MO
Mose Tolliver
Untitled
Paint on wood panel
11.8 x 23.8 inches (30 x 60.5 cm)
Category
Late 20th Century Outsider Art Mose Tolliver Art
Materials
Acrylic, Wood Panel
Untitled Dragon by Mose Tolliver AKA Mose T (INV# NP3171)
By Mose Tolliver
Located in Morton Grove, IL
Mose Tolliver AKA Mose T
Untitled Dragon
wood, paint, soda tab
approx: 11.5 x 21"
date unknown
signed
Category
Late 20th Century Contemporary Mose Tolliver Art
Materials
Wood, Acrylic
Untitled Blue Watermelon by Mose Tolliver AKA Mose T (INV# NP3169)
By Mose Tolliver
Located in Morton Grove, IL
Mose Tolliver AKA Mose T
Untitled Ble Watermelon
wood, paint, soda tab
approx: 7.5 x 15.5"
date unknown
signed
Category
Late 20th Century Contemporary Mose Tolliver Art
Materials
Acrylic, Wood
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Mose Tolliver art for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Mose Tolliver art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Mose Tolliver in paint, wood, acrylic paint and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large Mose Tolliver art, so small editions measuring 16 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Dick Crispo, Linda Dumont, and Susan Kinsella. Mose Tolliver art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,200 and tops out at $4,000, while the average work can sell for $1,200.