Joe Tilson
As a teenager Joe Tilson worked as a carpenter and cabinetmaker, until in 1946 when he served for three years in the Royal Air Force. Tilson studied at Central St. Martin’s and subsequently the Royal Academy of Art, where in 1955 he was awarded the Rome Prize. By the early 1960s Tilson had achieved a highly formalized abstract language made up of elementary forms, bold colors, and schematized imagery. An acute awareness of the increasing influence of the media and technology accompanied by progressive attitudes towards sexual liberation and political activism led Tilson to become one of the founding fathers of the British pop art movement. Tilson is a dedicated printmaker, specializing particularly in traditional techniques including etching, aquatint, woodcut, and carborundum.
Tilson's first solo exhibition was held at the Marlborough Gallery in London and he later joined the Waddington Galleries. Additionally he has exhibited work at The Gió Marconi Gallery in Milan, The Pinacoteca Macerata, and The Palazzo Pubblico in Siena. In 1985 Tilson was elected to membership of the Royal Academy of Arts in London. He has taught at Central St. Martins, The Slade School of Fine Art, University College London, and The School of Visual Arts. Tilson …
As a teenager Joe Tilson worked as a carpenter and cabinetmaker, until in 1946 when he served for three years in the Royal Air Force. Tilson studied at Central St. Martin’s and subsequently the Royal Academy of Art, where in 1955 he was awarded the Rome Prize. By the early 1960s Tilson had achieved a highly formalized abstract language made up of elementary forms, bold colors, and schematized imagery. An acute awareness of the increasing influence of the media and technology accompanied by progressive attitudes towards sexual liberation and political activism led Tilson to become one of the founding fathers of the British pop art movement. Tilson is a dedicated printmaker, specializing particularly in traditional techniques including etching, aquatint, woodcut, and carborundum.
Tilson's first solo exhibition was held at the Marlborough Gallery in London and he later joined the Waddington Galleries. Additionally he has exhibited work at The Gió Marconi Gallery in Milan, The Pinacoteca Macerata, and The Palazzo Pubblico in Siena. In 1985 Tilson was elected to membership of the Royal Academy of Arts in London. He has taught at Central St. Martins, The Slade School of Fine Art, University College London, and The School of Visual Arts. Tilson has work held in major collections internationally, including MoMA in New York, the Stedelijk in Amsterdam, and Tate in London.
Courtesy of the Tate
