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'Tufted Gustard' is among the works in Seuss' 'Unorthodox Taxidermy' collection.
'Andulovian Grackler'
Visitors to 'The Art of Dr. Seuss' retrospective exhibit at P&C Fine Art Gallery will find a mix of work, including editorial cartoons, drawings and silk screens from the artist's private collection.
'Relaxed in Spite of It,' a watercolor and pen-and-ink work, is part of Seuss' 'Secret Art' collection, on view at P&C Art Gallery.
People walk past 'The Art of Dr. Seuss' exhibit at P&C Fine Art Gallery on M Street, N.W., in Washington. The gallery is hosting a special showing |
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.
As much appeal as Dr. Seuss has to children, this exhibit has attracted many adults, as well. Entire offices of people have come to the show, as well as families and holiday shoppers.
"It has been packed," Mazziotta said. "People respond to Dr. Seuss. Everybody has a story. Everybody relates it to something from their past."
Likewise, there are lots of interesting facts from the artist's past.
For instance, Giesel autographed his early works with his middle name, "Seuss." His father always wanted him to be a medical doctor, so Giesel started calling himself "Dr. Seuss."
Not everyone embraced the imagination of the man who wrote and illustrated 44 children's books.
He got 27 rejections before his first book was published.
His "Secret Art" was created over more than 60 years, when the artist was a cartoonist, advertising artist or illustrator by day--and surrealist by night.
But Geisel didn't limit his creations to pen and ink, pencil and watercolor. He also created three-dimensional sculptures of make-believe animals.
The names he gave the creatures in his "Unorthodox Taxidermy" collection are as clever as the characters in his books. There's "The Goo Goo Eyed Tazmanian Wolghast" and the "Two Horned Drouberhannis Andulovian Grackler."
Both resemble real animals, sort of. One has horns that curl the way a ram's do, and the other has straight pointed ones like a bongo antelope. Both have happy eyes and smiling faces.
The original sculptures also contained real parts. Geisel got beaks and shells, antlers and horns from deceased animals at a zoo where his father worked.
Once more, the artist found a way to take real characters, that other people could relate to, and turn them into something imaginary.
How Seussian.
To reach CATHY DYSON:
Email: cdyson@freelancestar.com
WHAT: The Art of Dr. Seuss WHERE: P&C Fine Art Gallery in Georgetown, 3108 M St., N.W., Washington. Go over the Francis Scott Key Bridge and take a right onto M Street, N.W. WHEN: The exhibit will be on view through Dec. 31. Gallery hours COST: Free INFO: 202/965-3833 or pcart.com |
