Joe Tilson

Commissioned for The Ivy Restaurant, 1990

Condition report prepared by Stuart Sanderson, March 2015 The paint is in very good condition, there are a few grazes to the surface of the board, and there is some dirt trapped in the grain of the bottom batten. Please contact the department on +44 (0) 207 293 6424 if you have any questions regarding the present work or if you require a ultraviolet light report.
"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."

One of the founding figures of British Pop art in the early 1960's, Tilson was an enthusiastic proponent of the hedonism, optimism and political activism that were such striking characteristics of that decade. His work embraced advances in technology, reflected the ever-increasing power of mass media and exposed changing attitudes towards sexual liberation. In the 1970's he moved to Italy and the subject matter of his work radically changed to reflect this new shift, with a new emphasis on the five elements and Greek and Roman mythology.  In 1981 he visited Greece which inspired him and furthered his interest in mythology. A journey to Naples and nearby Pompeii in 1985 again proved significant in promoting these themes in his work. 

The present lot, executed in 1990, is an homage to Dionysus, Greek god of wine, rivalry and later associated with patronage of the arts. Along with Allen Jones’ painting of cavorting dancers, the present piece by Tilson was commissioned specifically for The Ivy. It was positioned opposite the main door to the restaurant and created a divide between the bar and the dining area. The bold red characters at the bottom of the composition spell out Dionysus’s name in Greek. Vines, heavy with bunches of dark purple grapes, intertwine as they romp across the panel. A thyrsus is positioned to the right of the composition. This wand made from a fennel stalk coiled with ivy and topped with a pinecone was a symbol of Dinoysus that was frequently carried by his followers. Its placement at the edge of the composition, slanting as if propped up against the wall, almost suggests that it was set down by a reveller entering the restaurant to engage in bacchic delights.   

Tilson painted directly onto the ash wood board.  The bright colours and bold manner of execution recall the Pop Art origins of the artist. Wooden bars divide the panel into sixteen separate areas. This device may result from Tilson’s study of the mosaics at the Archaeological Museum in Naples. They frame and contain the composition, simultaneously dividing and uniting it. This device adds geometry to the work, a motif that had been almost a constant in his artistic output the since the 1960s. Maro Livingston suggests that ‘geometry lies at the physical and metaphorical centre of Tilson’s work. It is above all by means of devices such as grids, near symmetry and shapes which have no one point of orientation or emphasis, such as the triangle and square, that he has given form to his anti-hierarchical attitudes and to his ideas about equivalencies’ (Michael Compton and Marco Livingstone, Tilson, Thames and Hudson, London, 1992, p.19).