William Tolliver

In an age when the rules of art had either been abandoned in favor of an anti-formalist attitude or had been institutionalized in academic study, William Tolliver emerged as a brilliant self-taught artist -a Mississippi-born Renaissance man whose creative intelligence combines the study of formal structure with an innate sense of human observation. Far from the marketplace of the New York City art world, Tolliver arose during the mid-1980’s a brilliant regional talent, an individual impelled by a desire to capture the landscapes and peoples of his native deep South. Whether dealing with everyd...

In an age when the rules of art had either been abandoned in favor of an anti-formalist attitude or had been institutionalized in academic study, William Tolliver emerged as a brilliant self-taught artist -a Mississippi-born Renaissance man whose creative intelligence combines the study of formal structure with an innate sense of human observation. Far from the marketplace of the New York City art world, Tolliver arose during the mid-1980’s a brilliant regional talent, an individual impelled by a desire to capture the landscapes and peoples of his native deep South. Whether dealing with everyday workers or back-alley jazzmen, he conveys a universal message through sconces of the common human experience.

While plaintive in mood, Tolliver’s works evoke compassion with an underlying sense of expressive emotion. “I could draw on a lot of sad and depressing things from my life, but I’d rather emphasize the positive.” An artist of insight and natural ability, Tolliver was a deliverer of an artistic message, imbued with unique expressions and spiritual enlistment.

Topping his long list of achievements, Tolliver has had works travel, on tour, with the Smithsonian Museum of Art. He was also commissioned by the Olympic Games Committee to create a piece (depicting the "Spirit of Georgia”) for the 1996 Olympic Games held in Atlanta, GA.

Collectors include, Barbara Eden, Halle Berry, Sean “P Diddy” Combs, L.A. Reid, Cicely Tyson, Steve Harvey, Sheri Belafonte, and Tempestt Bledsoe.