Joe Tilson at Alan Cristea Gallery
Preview by Lizzie Guilfoyle
JOE TILSON RA, one of the founding figures of British Pop art, will show new work alongside a selection of his prints from the last fifty years in The Printed Works at Alan Cristea Gallery – from April 22 to May 30, 2009.
The exhibition includes Tilson’s pioneering screenprints and collages from the Sixties, which will hang alongside his most recent etchings, aquatints and unique works.
In the early 1960s Tilson was an enthusiastic proponent of the hedonism, optimism and political activism that characterised the decade. His work embraced advances in technology, reflected the growth of mass media and exposed changing attitudes towards sexual liberation.
In the 1970s, Tilson spent an increasing amount of time in Italy resulting in a radical change in his work. His subject matter shifted to an emphasis on the five elements, Greek and Roman mythology and his passion for Venice and Cortona, where he now lives and works for part of the year.
A lifelong subversive printmaker, Tilson’s work is held in international collections including Tate, London; MoMA, New York and the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam.
The exhibition coincides with the launch of the publication, Tilson: The Printed Works 1963 – 2009, compiled and written by Enzo di Martino, and published by Papiro Arte, Editalia and the Bugno Gallery, Venice. The book is a celebration of the way in which Tilson’s printmaking has infiltrated and informed every aspect of his creative output over the past 46 years. A deluxe edition of the book, accompanied by a limited edition print, will also be available.
Times: weekdays from 10am to 5.30pm, Saturdays from 10am to 1pm. (Easter: closed from April 10 to April 13).
Alan Cristea Gallery 31 and 34 Cork Street, London, W1S 3NU
Tel: 020 7439 1866