Cathy's Art Diary

Fascinating exhibition at Cristea Roberts of prints by Joe Tilson. The show included pieces from the 1960s to date. I know Tilson’s recent Stones of Venice pictures, combining images of the sites of the city surrounded by patterns from the buildings, but I hadn’t realised he was part of the British Pop Art movement. I loved the early prints with collage added which had been deemed at the time to be “not original prints” since then Tilson has sought to break other rules of print making. I liked the works based on Greek myth as I have just finished a book on them but my favourite section was the Venice prints downstairs. Closed 17 June 2023

Bright exhibition at Marlborough Fine Art of wood relief and sculptural works from the 1970s and 80s by Joe Tilson. I know Tilson for his more recent pictures of Venice set against a patterned background so I was fascinated to see these earlier works. I liked their handcrafted feel   particularly those which were little shelves like a cabinet of curiosities. Many of the works evoke the elements and the back room had groups of sculptures on each of the themes presenting boxes of natural items linked to the element such as feathers in the air boxes. I particularly liked this colourful board of compartments and I would like to see more of his earlier work. Closes 31 July 2021

Colourful exhibition at Marlborough Fine Art of new work by Joe Tilson inspired by Ruskin’s “Stones of Venice”.   These were big bold pictures of Venice mainly using an image of colourful medieval tiles with a picture of a church inset into them. The pictures were named after the churches. Another style involved the same sort of image but emerging from giant envelopes liked postcards. Some of the pictures also showed inscriptions of obsolete forms of the city’s name. I am off to Venice later in the year and this was a great reminder of the colours and vibrancy of the city. I can’t wait! Closes on 2 April 2016