- 36
Joe Tilson
Estimate
15,000 - 25,000 GBP
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Description
- Joe Tilson
- Maltese Cross Cut-Out
- signed, titled, dated 1962 and inscribed with stencil on the backboard
- oil and pencil on board
- 30.5 by 30.5cm.; 12 by 12in.
Provenance
Marlborough Fine Art, London, where acquired by Colin St John Wilson, 30th January 1968 for £80
Exhibited
Chichester, Pallant House Gallery, June 2006 - February 2008, on long-term loan from the collection of Colin St John Wilson;
Chichester, Pallant House Gallery, Colin St John Wilson, Collector & Architect, 9th February - 8th June 2008;
Falmouth, Falmouth Art Gallery, Treasures of the Wilson Collection, 8th November 2008 - 7th February 2009.
Chichester, Pallant House Gallery, Colin St John Wilson, Collector & Architect, 9th February - 8th June 2008;
Falmouth, Falmouth Art Gallery, Treasures of the Wilson Collection, 8th November 2008 - 7th February 2009.
Literature
Arturo Carlo Quintavalle, Tilson, Pre-arte, Milano, 1977, p.201.
Condition
Housed behind glass in a box wooden frame the work is structurally sound.
There is very minor surface dirt and matter loose inside the box. The extreme edges of the cross appear to hav one or two tiny old flecks of paint loss. This excepting the work appears in excellent condition,
Ultraviolet light reveals no obvious signs of fluorescence or retouching.
Housed in an unpainted wooden box frame. Not examined out of frame.
Please telephone the department on +44 (0) 207 293 6424 if you have any questions regarding the present lot.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
After early attempts at a purely figurative painting style, in 1960 Tilson embarked on a series of large-scale wooden reliefs. These unpainted interlocking planks (including Wood relief no.21 – Bocca, 1961, sold in these rooms 14th March 2006 for £66,000) drew on his earlier, pre-war carpentry training and came together to create bold, puzzle-like patterns that the artist developed further with the application of bright and characterful colours. These were soon broken down to forge smaller individual shapes and patterns cut out from sheets of wood, boldly painted and set within boxes and trays.
The shapes soon became recognisable in their representation of historical and emblematic symbols, with the classical and historical colliding with the newly emerging ‘Pop’ culture. Shapes emerge, developing their own unique and original symbolism, almost as snapshots of the material culture that surrounded and fascinated the artist. Words, numbers and names appear, removed from their traditional context and viewed with an almost post-structuralist intent that sang with the vibrancy of the age. Amongst these many symbols was the Iron Cross of the Red Baron, the illustrious Baron von Richthofen, which appeared in the artist’s work as early as 1960, aided perhaps in part by the growing interest in military history at this time, including in film and literature. With the memory of war with Germany still looming fresh in many minds, Tilson draws on this deliberately provocative symbol of a German war hero, using the Maltese cross that was to reappear in his work at several stages over the following two years. The cross would be cast alongside similar cut-outs of stars and suns, reminiscent of gleaming military medals, as well as a plethora of other forms that had captured the artist’s interest. Presented almost as icons, these were bold and bright in their colours and forms and remain visually engaging and intriguing, with meanings and ideas that shift with each generation of viewers. This process was to form the basis of Tilson’s output for much of the following decade, continuing well into his career, for, as Marco Livingstone writes, 'all at once he found his language, his methods and materials, his subject matter and his frame of reference, assuring for himself a distinctive identity within the emerging Pop Art movement' (Marco Livingstone, '“Pop Art Is”: Some things worth knowing about British Pop Art,' British Pop, Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 17th October 2005 – 12th February 2006, p.389).
The shapes soon became recognisable in their representation of historical and emblematic symbols, with the classical and historical colliding with the newly emerging ‘Pop’ culture. Shapes emerge, developing their own unique and original symbolism, almost as snapshots of the material culture that surrounded and fascinated the artist. Words, numbers and names appear, removed from their traditional context and viewed with an almost post-structuralist intent that sang with the vibrancy of the age. Amongst these many symbols was the Iron Cross of the Red Baron, the illustrious Baron von Richthofen, which appeared in the artist’s work as early as 1960, aided perhaps in part by the growing interest in military history at this time, including in film and literature. With the memory of war with Germany still looming fresh in many minds, Tilson draws on this deliberately provocative symbol of a German war hero, using the Maltese cross that was to reappear in his work at several stages over the following two years. The cross would be cast alongside similar cut-outs of stars and suns, reminiscent of gleaming military medals, as well as a plethora of other forms that had captured the artist’s interest. Presented almost as icons, these were bold and bright in their colours and forms and remain visually engaging and intriguing, with meanings and ideas that shift with each generation of viewers. This process was to form the basis of Tilson’s output for much of the following decade, continuing well into his career, for, as Marco Livingstone writes, 'all at once he found his language, his methods and materials, his subject matter and his frame of reference, assuring for himself a distinctive identity within the emerging Pop Art movement' (Marco Livingstone, '“Pop Art Is”: Some things worth knowing about British Pop Art,' British Pop, Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 17th October 2005 – 12th February 2006, p.389).