On Friday November 2, Art on 5th opens their exhibition The Seuss-sational Life and Art of Ted Geisel: 1904–1991. (Geisel wrote under the pen name Dr. Seuss.) The exhibition was originally conceived to commemorate Geisel’s 100th birthday but has now come to encompass artwork that celebrates the 50th anniversary of The Cat in the Hat and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. In addition to the artwork, the exhibit also features a historical component consisting of panels that chart the course of Geisel’s life from the 1920s through the 1980s, featuring Geisel’s early ads and comics as well as the more mature work that appeared in his renowned children’s books.
Theodore Geisel was born in Springfield, Massachusetts to a comfortable upper-middle class family in a large German-American community. A family of successful brewers, the Geisels had a corner on the beer market in Massachusetts. But when Prohibition hit, they lost most of their fortune, and Geisel’s father became the superintendent of the zoo.
The family remained stable enough to send Theodore to Dartmouth, where he eventually became editor-in-chief of Dartmouth’s humor magazine, The Dartmouth Jack-O-Lantern. When, in his senior year, Geisel was caught red-handed hosting a drinking party (during Prohibition), he was removed from the position of editor-in-chief and told he could no longer have anything to do with the publication. Yet Geisel continued to contribute, using his middle name (his mother’s maiden name), Seuss. Seuss is a German name; when pronounced correctly it sounds like, “zoice,” but everyone read it “sooce” — and the latter stuck.
Geisel went to Oxford to get his PhD in literature but did little studying. Having traveled throughout Europe, he came back to America with a wife, Helen Palmer Geisel, rather than a degree.
When he started drawing cartoons for popular magazines and advertisers, Geisel began signing his works as Dr. Seuss (perhaps on account of his father who had no higher learning, though wished greatly to have a doctor in the family). In Seuss’ early advertisements, you can see the latent stylistic idiosyncrasies and compositional arrangements that would eventually inform his most popular works.
Jodi Brauner, the director of Art on 5th, points out the recurring imagery as she walks me through the exhibit: “Dr. Seuss can be thought of as a man who never forgets. Many of the names in his writings are real names he collected during his lifetime. If you had a weird name, he’d remember it 60 years later and might use it in a story.” Ads he drew as a young man reappear bizarrely reinterpreted in his later works, such as Green Eggs and Ham (which, by the way, is 790 words long, though Seuss only used 50 words total — quite a feat).
The entire time Dr. Seuss produced commercial work, he also produced private works of art that he showed to hardly anyone. His art was both a source of tension and relief. So during the days he would brood over his books, writing them, drawing the illustrations, worrying about the next book. But in the evenings he would paint in oil paints or water colors, and eventually acrylics (once they became available in the ’60s).
Those private paintings Seuss created in his playful or reflective moments are the main focal point of this exhibition.
Most of the pieces are part of limited edition collections and are for sale. They range vastly in their styles, color schemes, and subject matters. Seuss juxtaposes humor with sinister melancholy in his most affecting pieces, expressing some simple lesson that reverberates on many levels. When you view Seuss’ private collection you notice that while Seuss had strict fidelity to the aesthetic he employed in his book illustrations, in his private pursuits he paid attention to trends in modern art, experimenting with techniques but always entertaining his own imagination.
The variety of the works of art coupled with the biographical and historical slant of the exhibit coalesce to give you a well-rounded idea of not only the breadth of Geisel’s work, but of a bright, imaginative individual full of humanity. The open reception is today, November 2, from 6pm–9pm at Art on 5th. To RSVP call 481-1111 or go here. There will be a tour by William W. Dreyer, curator and director of the Art of Dr. Seuss, at 7pm.
Comments
November 17, 2007
Dear Mr. Hanna:
The so-called “limited edition collections” for sale in the Art of Dr. Seuss exhibit at Art on 5th gallery are actually non-disclosed -FAKES- reproduced after 1997.
Theodor Geisel died in 1991.
By definition, rule of law and laws of nature, dead men don’t create art, much less sign and number anything.
To learn more about this ten year $100 million dollar -FRAUD-, link to:
garyarseneau.blogspot.com/2007/05/art-of-dr-seuss-coverup.html
garyarseneau.blogspot.com/2006/09/art-of-dr-seuss-fraud.html
Afterwards, I hope you and That Other Paper might consider writing {an}other story.
Gary Arseneau
artist, creator of original lithographs, scholar & author
Fernandina Beach, Florida
garyarseneau.blogspot.com
gwarseneau@hotmail.com
November 17, 2007
Dear Mr. Arseneau:
Thank you for your comment. Here at That Other Paper, we enjoy engaging in dialog with our readers.
I wouldn’t call the limited editions “fakes.” They are limited edition serigraphs — a fact that Art on 5th is upfront about in their exhibit. A fact that I, having seen the exhibit, perhaps took for granted as I wrote this piece.
As far as I understand the serigraph process (and I don’t claim to be an expert, as you seem to be), it works as follows.
The serigrapher, a highly skilled printmaker, will take the original painting and put acetate (a clear film) over it. She’ll paint a black stencil on the acetate wherever she sees a certain color, a shade of yellow for example, seen in the original painting beneath the acetate. And that will be acetate #1. On acetate #2 she’ll paint a black stencil over another color, and so on, until she stencils about 65 different colors — that’s 65 different acetates, each representing a different color or shade of color in the original. Those acetates are then used to create silk screens.
For silk screening, the serigrapher wraps a mesh material around a frame and covers the mesh with a light sensitive emulsion that hardens in UV light. Acetate number #1 goes on a silkscreen that’s been treated with emulsion. The serigrapher shines the light on the acetate atop the treated screen. Where the black stencils have been drawn, the mesh will not harden because the light doesn’t touch it. The serigrapher then washes the mesh off with water. Now ink can permeate the soft spots created by the stencil. The silkscreen is now basically another kind of stencil. For each acetate you’ve made, you’ll make a silkscreen — again, one for each color.
Now put canvas #1 one down, put screen #1 on it, pull the ink, and squeegee it through. Then put canvas #1 aside to dry; put down canvas #2, place screen #1 on it and repeat. So basically you do a color at a time. Once the first color has been applied to all the canvases, you take canvas #1 and put on screen #2. You do that to 350 or 850 canvases, depending on the size of your collection.
Afterward, the silkscreens are destroyed to ensure the value of the prints. The prints are then authenticated.
Obviously this is no easy skill, and the quality of the serigraphs in this exhibit alludes to the hard work it took to produce them.
As far as I know Art on 5th does not charge patrons the same price for serigraphs that an original would fetch.
I hope that makes our coverage more transparent.
Dear Hanna:
I thank you for your prompt and thoughtful reply. As I am sure you know, the dead don’t create art.
Serigraphs are original works of visual art that by definition, rule of law and laws of nature must be created by a living artist, much less signed and numbered by that same living artist.
If I may let me compare your misconceptions to the facts.
FIRST, misconception, you wrote: “The serigraphs, a highly skilled printmaker, will take the original painting.”
WHAT IS A SERIGRAPH?
“Serigraphs” are original works of visual art “wholly executed by hand by the artist” and “excluding any mechanical and photomechanical processes” and are not reproductions of pre-existing works of visual art such as a painting. In other words, serigraphs are, once again, created by an artist and -NOT- from a “painting” and/or by a “highly skilled printmaker.”
U.S. CUSTOMS
This perspective is confirmed by April 2004 U.S. Customs; Works of Art, Collector’s Pieces Antiques, and Other Cultural Property, An Informed Compliance Publication. It states: “The expression “original engravings, prints and lithographs” means impressions produced directly, in black and white or in color, of one or of several plates wholly executed by hand by the artist, irrespective of the process or of the material employed by him, but excluding any mechanical or photomechanical process.”
SECOND, misconceptions aside the gender bias, you wrote: “{the serigrapher} paint a black stencil on the acetate wherever she sees a certain color, a shade of yellow for example, seen in the original painting beneath the acetate.”
Only the living -artist- would cut and/or paint stencils for screens. The -artist- would use those screens to print the individual colors usually on rag paper. For each color printed, the -artist- would carefully register those color till the completion of their original works of visual art ie. serigraphs. Then the -artist-, if they chose to do so, sign-number-title their edition of original works of art. ie. serigraphs.
PRINT COUNCIL OF AMERICA
This perspective is confirmed by 3. A GUIDE TO THE COLLECTING AND CARE OF ORIGINAL PRINTS sponsored by the The Print Council of America and authored by Carl Zigrosser and Christa M. Gaehde. It states: “An original print is a work of art, the general requirements of which are: 1. The artist alone has created the master image in or upon the plate, stone, wood block or other material, for the purpose of creating the print. 2. The print is made from the said material, by the artist or pursuant to his directions. 3. The finished print is approved by the artist.”
Since, Theodor Geisel a.k.a. Dr. Seuss was dead (died 1991) when these non-disclosed chromist-made (someone who copies the artist work) reproductions were reproduced (after 1997), they could not be -serigraphs-, particularly by a dead guy who I am sure you would agree has no capacity for “hard work.”
THIRD, misconception, you wrote: “You do that to 350 or 850 canvases, depending on the size of your collection.”
For a work of visual art ie. serigraph to be considered a limited edition it must be signed and numbered by the artist.
U.S. COPYRIGHT LAW
This perspective is confirmed under U.S. Copyright Law 101. Definitions, “a “work of visual art” is — (1) a painting, drawing, print or sculpture, existing in a single copy, in a limited edition of 200 copies or fewer that are signed and consecutively numbered by the author.”
FOURTH, misconception, you wrote: “Art on 5th does not charges patrons the same price for serigraphs that an original would fetch.”
INSULT TO INJURY
Serigraphs are -ORIGINAL- works of visual art created by artist and you have further trivialized, with or without intent, the true hard work and skill of living artists who created them with, what would generously be characterized as: -misconceptions-.
FIFTH, and finally misconception, you wrote: “Afterward, the silkscreens are destroyed to ensure the value of the prints. The prints are then authenticated.”
At best, once again, Art on 5th are selling reproductions. Reproductions are derivatives. Under U.S. Copyright Law those derivatives and their reproductions rights would be owned by the printer who reproduced them.
U.S. COPYRIGHT LAW
This perspective is confirmed under U.S. Copyright Law § 106A. “Rights of certain authors to attribution and integrity,” which, in part, states: “shall not apply to any reproduction.”
That applies to any artist, dead or alive.
PRINTING TRADE CUSTOMS
That perspective is confirmed by Printing Industries of America, Inc., which, in part, states: “6. PREPARATORY MATERIALS Working mechanical art, type, negatives, positives, flats, plates, and other items when supplied by the printer, shall remain his exclusive property unless otherwise agreed in writing.”
CONCLUSION
The bottom line is Art on 5th is misrepresenting posthumous chromist-made -FAKES- with counterfeit “Dr. Seuss” signatures applied as 72,000 or more original works of visual art ie. “serigraphs,” “lithographs” and “sculptures” for $225 to $9,000 or more which is “a knowing misrepresentation of the truth or concealment of a material fact to induce another to act to his or her detriment” which is one legal definition of -FRAUD-.
Once again, respectfully, until understand these contentious issues of authenticity with this “Art of Dr. Seuss FRAUD,” you will, with or without intent, enabling Art on 5th and others to rip-off the consumer and poison the marketplace for legitimate artists who create and sell their art, much less those who sell fully disclosed reproductions.
I hope the enclosed will empower you and others to know the choice they have.
Sincerely,
Gary Arseneau
gwarseneau@hotmail.com
garyarseneau.blogspot.com
Sir. Prints of artists’ work have value of their own. You sound like a total tool, getting all up in arms over nothing. No one’s being mislead or ripped off here, you are just a troll who’s to impress people (strangers) with your ‘wisdom’. Get a real hobby!
To “You are a tool”(!!!) author:
first - you did not identify yourself;
second - you used insults to get your point across, which certainly doesn’t add to your er…”wisdom”
third - Gary quotes laws and definitions, which he hasn’t made up on his own to “impress strangers” as you claim;
fourth - there are laws in every area, that you or I may want to interpret our own way; but we simply CAN’T; for they are laws;
fifth - “Prints of artists’ work have value of their own” - Do you hear yourself? Did you just say “Prints” ? We were talking about “serigraphs”. Look it up. Or read Gary’s post in full, which if you had the attention span to read in the first place, who knows? You might not even make a tool/fool of yourself.
sixth - Limited Edition is when the Artist Signs and Numbers the peices himself; which he most obviously DIDN’T DO (A FACT)
seven - “getting all up in arms over nothing.” Nothing to you may mean selling a reproduction as an artist’s signed and numbered original work; you obviously do not own one of these “PRINTS” or I would see some foam on your mouth right now, Mr.Tool.
You are obviously the tooly guy trying to look like you have a supporter. The all caps and dashes give it away, dipshit.
Way to not have a life.
Nearly all of Geisel’s original artwork was signed by him over the approximately 60 years in which it was created. Because the reproductions included in The Art of Dr. Seuss project were created after his lifetime, each limited edition lithograph and serigraph bears an Authorized Printed Signature and each sculpture an Authorized Engraved Signature, identifying the work as an exclusively authorized limited edition commissioned by the Seuss Estate. (Works published in this manner are oftentimes referred to as estate or posthumous editions.)
Just read the above line: “The Art of Dr. Seuss project were created after his lifetime.”
There is an oxymoron if I have ever seen one.
In addition, signature,” by definition, means autographed by the person on hand. Since, Theodor Geisel was -DEAD- when these 72,000 or more non-disclosed reproductions were posthumously reproduced with his so-called “signature” applied, how’d he do that?
Furthermore, under U.S. Copyright Law, for something to be considered a “limited edition” it must be FIRST: an original “work of visual art” and SECOND: that is signed and numbered by the artist. Since, Theodor Geisel was dead when these non-disclosed reproductions were reproduced, obviously he could not have signed and numbered anything.
In other words, the Chase Group are, with impunity, counterfeiting Theodor Geisel’s work and his signature and calling them the “Art of Dr. Seuss” with “Dr. Seuss signatures” to help them defraud the public of hundreds to thousands of dollars each.
In closing, as a -living- artist, I have created and printed over 10,000 original stone lithographs over the last twenty-three years. Yet, the Chase Group and participating galleries would have you believe that Theodor Geisel, despite being -dead- (d.1991) and violating the rule of law and laws of nature, can be given attribution since 1997 to 72,000 non-disclosed reproductions misrepresented as lithographs, serigraphs and sculptures.
For additional information on this fraud, link to:
http://garyarseneau.blogspot.com/2007/05/art-of-dr-seuss-coverup.html
http://garyarseneau.blogspot.com/2006/09/art-of-dr-seuss-fraud.html
Gary Arseneau
artist, creator of original lithographs, scholar & author
gwarseneau@hotmail.com
You guys actually argued about all this haha
Hey Gary, you sound like a real arse…ya know?
It seems an important matter to mislead collectors into thinking they are getting something they are not. As an active american artisan, I know it is very important to properly label your work(lithograph,giclee, etc) when for sale. Why should this be any different? I do not believe that the previous blogs by Mr. Arseneau are frivolous or malicious. It is enlightening information due to anyone considering purchase of these “limited editions”, and if he seems to be taking it personally, well…he is justified in doing so. He is an artist and seeing someone perpetrating fraud in his own arena…would naturally step on toes.
I just wanted to add this and give a thank you shout out for helping keep those unaware possibly a bit more informed.
Thanks for the time and blog space.
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WTF?