This week we popped into Joe Tilson’s latest exhibition at the Malborough Gallery in London. Tilson’s latest works continue to celebrate the romantic city of Venice that he loves and knows so well, having visited for over 60 years.
Last year Joe Tilson celebrated his 90th birthday, marked by over 100 flags hanging down the length of Regent Street no less! His new works are just as brightly coloured and expressive as ever, capturing bold geometric patterns of Venice’s stone flooring, archways or a favourite façade.
I have followed Tilson’s work for many years, admiring his love of mythology, ecology and symbolism. He was a pop artist during the 70s, working way before his time.
A number of his artworks punctuate the public spaces and bedrooms of our hotels. At The Whitby Hotel in New York, a 20-foot-tall canvas is visible from the street backed by a Kate Blee wallpaper, arresting the attention of passers-by.
A pair sit above the honesty bar in the drawing room at Ham Yard Hotel. These two screen-prints with woodblock are from the 1990s. The surface is so heavily inked that there are natural colourless lines in the dark blue and red ink from its sheer weight on the paper.
If you haven’t already, go and experience these works for yourself. The vivid colours and heavily textured surfaces should be seen in person to be truly appreciated.
Another powerful work sits above the sofa in Room 1502, also at The Whitby Hotel. The vibrant, burning reds and yellows capture your eye immediately on entering the room. The colours work beautifully with the Pierre Frey Tiago fabric on the sofa.