SelfPortraitat84

MoseTolliver(c.
19212006)
Location:
Montgomery,
Alabama,United
States
Date:1978
Materials:House
paintonplywood
Dimensions:20
13/161613/16"
Credit:GiftofRobert
Bishop
AccessionNumber:
1987.11.3
Photocredit:John
Parnell
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MoseTolliver(c.19212006)
ThisselfportraitbyMoses(orMose)ErnestTolliver,aprolificartistfromMontgomery,Alabama,isoneofhismostintenseworks.Theredpaint
c.1980
drippingfromtheupperlipandthestrongredlineseparatingthebared,gleamingwhiteteethevokespowerandterror,whiletheredborderfurther
enlivensthecomposition.Facialfeaturesarelopsided,nostrilsandeyesareofdifferentsizes,andtheunnervingeyesareshapedlikeverticaldrawer
handles.Thedarkbrownfaceiscrownedbytheclosecropped,curlywhitehairTolliverhadfromanearlyage.AndontopofTolliver'sheadisa
decorativehandlelikeobjectthattheartistcalleda"headbob."
Tolliver'sfatherwasatenantfarmerontheRittenourfarminthePikeRoadareaofAlabamawheretheartistwasborn.Tolliverreceivedlimited

formaleducation,andmuchofhisearlyliferevolvedaroundfarmrelatedchores.Whenhewasateenager,heandhismothermovedtonearby
Montgomery,whereheperformedoddjobsandtookspecialpleasureinyardworkandgardening.HemarriedWillieMaeThomasintheearly1940s,
andtheyhadelevenchildren.Fordecades,TolliverworkedintheshippingdepartmentofthelocalMcClendonFurnitureFactory.Afteraninjuryto
hislegsforcedhimtoleavehisjob,hetookupart.
Tolliverpaintedabstractsingleimagesofpeople,animals,fantastichalfman/halfanimalhybrids,plantlife,andvehicles,aswellasmultifigured
narratives.Sexualimageryprevailsinwhattheartistcalledhis"nasty"pictures.Andawrysenseofhumorisevidentinallthepaintings,manyof
whichhaveimaginativetitles.Tolliverusedhousepaintinapalettetypicallylimitedtoafewcolorsbrown,blue,white,andredinthisworkfrom
whichhewasabletocreateavarietyoftonalgradationswithwetonwetapplication.
LeeKogan,"SelfPortrait,"inStacyC.Hollander,AmericanAnthem:MasterworksfromtheAmericanFolkArtMuseum(NewYork:HarryN.
AbramsinassociationwithAmericanFolkArtMuseum,2001),386.
SelfPortraitat84
Date:1978
Artist:
MoseTolliver(c.19212006)
Dimensions:2013/161613/16"
Materials:Housepaintonplywood
CreditLine:GiftofRobertBishop
Place/Region:UnitedStates,Montgomery
Description:
AccessionNumber:1987.11.3
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