Joe Tilson: Modest Materials and A-Z Box of Friends and Family

Marlborough London presents two complementary exhibitions opening on 28 April 2023 to mark the 95th birthday of the British artist Joe Tilson RA.

‘Modest Materials’ on the ground floor and first-floor galleries is an overview of Tilson’s career, spanning seven decades and ranging from bold Pop Art pieces to political works and elaborate wood reliefs, through to Tilson’s most recent body of work honouring his love for Venice and Tuscany. The exhibition title plays on Tilson’s early training as a carpenter and joiner and his unorthodox approach to art practice that led him to work with ‘modest materials’.

‘A-Z Box of Friends and Family’ on the second-floor gallery is inspired by Tilson’s 1963 work of the same title and features original artworks by friends including Auerbach, Paolozzi and Hamilton, as well as some of his artist family members, including his wife Jos Tilson and children Sophie, Jake and Anna. The exhibition, which also includes portraits of Tilson by fellow artists Blake and Hockney, is an eclectic celebration of an extraordinary life.