Tilson, Joe | Stele for Dionysos, 1981 — available on Composition Gallery

// Stele for Dionysos by Joe Tilson, created in 1981, is a mixed media sculpture crafted from wood. This piece embodies a reverence for ancient symbolism, evoking the spirit of Dionysian mythology through its intricate design. The sculpture takes the form of a tall, rectangular wooden case that opens to reveal various carved and painted symbols, including a leaf, spiral, and geometric patterns, each representing different elements of nature and ritual. The elongated spoon-like shape held within the case suggests a ceremonial object, connecting the artwork to ancient traditions. Measuring 57 cm × 24 cm × 10 cm, the piece invites contemplation of nature, mysticism, and the sacred.

Joe Tilson (United Kingdom, 1928–2023) was a British artist and a leading figure in the Pop Art movement of the 1960s. His work encompassed paintings, prints, and constructions, often incorporating vibrant colors and popular culture imagery. Tilson's art is held in public collections including the Tate Gallery, London; MoMA, New York; and the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam.

Joe Tilson

Stele for Dionysos, 1981

Name: Stele for Dionysos, 1981
SKU: 11166
Price: 3650.00 EUR
Availability: InStock

Form

Sculpture / Object

Sculpture / ObjectA sculpture is a three-dimension object made using any one of the basic sculpting processes. These include carving, casting, constructing or modeling. Carving materials may be bone, ivory, stone or wood. Modeling and casting use clay or wax, while constructions glue materials together.

Medium

Wood

WoodWood is one of the most ancient and versatile materials used in creating art. It has served as a base for paintings, brush handles, pens, and pencils, as well as for easels, wood engraving, woodcut, woodblock printing, and sculpting. Various types of wood, such as oak, maple, and pine, are commonly used in these artistic applications.

Edition

Edition of 100

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●Inventory 11166

Limited Edition Print

Lithograph

USD 2,000

Joe Tilson

The oracle of zeus, 1980

Limited Edition Print

Limited Edition Print

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I think it's a mistake for painters or poets to get too involved in politics, any more than it makes sense for them to get swept up in being fashionable.
- Joe Tilson

One of the leading artists of the 1960’s British Pop Art movement, Joe Tilson has drawn from his own experience as a carpenter to create wooden reliefs and constructions, alongside prints and paintings. His earliest work was print-making; Tilson would craft unique prints on which he would paint directly, adding a handmade quality - he would often blur the lines between two and three-dimensional space, as evident in his Bela Lugosi Journal piece. Later in his career, Tilson began to widen his range of materials to include rope, straw and stone, all of which he used as a means to escape the constraints of time and culture by making use of pre-classical motifs for which he is now widely recognised. (Artist website)

Artwork by Andy Warhol

What is pop-art?

Pop Art is an art movement that began in Britain in 1955 and in the late 1950s in the U.S. It challenged traditional fine arts by incorporating imagery from popular culture, such as news, advertising, and comic books. Pop Art often isolates and recontextualizes materials, combining them with unrelated elements. The movement is more about the attitudes and ideas that inspired it than the specific art itself. Pop Art is seen as a reaction against the dominant ideas of Abstract Expressionism, bringing everyday consumer culture into the realm of fine art.

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Joe Tilson