Dr. Seuss exhibit in Washington sparks imagination
Date published: 12/22/2005
By CATHY DYSON
FUNNY THING happens to people who see the exhibit featuring the art of Dr. Seuss.
"Seussian" suddenly becomes part of their vocabulary.
There doesn't seem to be a better word to describe the style of the artist, known worldwide for his beloved children's books. His characters--the Cat in the Hat, Yertle the Turtle, Horton, the Grinch and the Lorax--are practically household names.
But the unique style of the artist born Theodor Seuss Geisel also comes through in the many other mediums he explored in his lifetime.
Examples of those currently fill the floor space of P&C Fine Art Gallery, a small studio on M Street in Georgetown. The traveling exhibit honors the 100th anniversary of Geisel's birth.
Whimsical animals are the subjects of his editorial cartoons published during World War II.
Birdlike women are the main characters in drawings and silk screens from his private collection.
Even his surreal works, known as the "Secret Art of Dr. Seuss," are stamped with his signature style.
One painting at the P&C gallery shows torrential waves in a vividly colored sea of turquoise and dark blue. Above them flies "Free Bird," a whimsical creature with a long, thin yellow-orange body that floats peacefully, just above the fray.
If that isn't Seussian, nothing is.
The description appears several times in the catalog of the exhibit, called "The Art of Dr. Seuss." The show chronicles "almost seven decades of work that, in every respect, is uniquely, stylistically and endearingly 'Seussian.'"
Children will see work they recognize in the exhibit--and during the winter break from school, the gallery may be a worthwhile destination. It isn't far from the National Zoo, and a certain black and white character that's almost as famous as a feline in a tall, striped hat.
Some of the Dr. Seuss illustrations are for sale. The reproductions have been framed by the gallery, in colors that can only be described as Cat-in-the-Hat blue or red.
Some patrons plan to decorate their nurseries or game rooms with the reproductions, which start at about $400.
There are no original works for sale, said Deneice Mazziotta, the gallery director.
They're all in private collections, and most are owned by Geisel's widow, Audrey. When she dies, the originals will be donated to a California museum.
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