DISCOVERING THE ART OF DR. SEUSS

25 Years Through The Wrong End of The Telescope

National Touring Exhibition

Prints & sculpture from the Art of Dr. Seuss Collection.

Holland Area Arts Council, 150 E. 8th Street, Holland, MI 49423

May1 -May31, 2024

HOLLAND, MI April, 2024: - The Holland Area Arts Council in a joint effort cultural effort
with The Pinnacle Art Group proudly presents 25 Years Through The Wrong End of The
Telescope National Touring Exhibition. Theodor Seuss Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss spent his life pushing open the doors of conventional thought, ushering in new directions and ideas, and always looking “through the wrong end of the telescope.” His wife, Audrey, continued that vision as she guided Ted’s legacy across the nearly 30 years following his passing. Such stewardship included the formation of The Art of Dr. Seuss Collection, allowing the world its first chance to see images Ted had made privately yet never shared with the general public. The works included in this exhibition are not only an inspired tribute to Ted and Audrey’s vision, but to those of us who believe life is better when viewed through the wrong end of the telescope.
In homage to this unique perspective, select works in this exhibition include rare examples
signed by Audrey Geisel.

“I like nonsense. It wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary

ingredient in living, it’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a

telescope. Which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life’s

realities.” Dr. Seuss

THE MAN BEHIND THE MAGIC

Theodor Seuss Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss, began his career as a little-known editorial cartoonist
in the late 1920’s. His intriguing perspective and fresh concepts ignited his career, and his
work evolved quickly to deft illustrations, modeled sculpture, and sophisticated oil paintings of
elaborate imagination. His artistic vision emerged as a golden thread that linked evert facet of
his varied career, and his artwork became the platform from which he delivered forty-four
children’s books, hundreds of advertisements, and countless editorials filled with wonderfully
inventive animals, characters, and humor. Geisel single-handedly forged a new genre of art that falls somewhere between the surrealist movement of the early 20th century and the inspired nonsense of a child’s classroom doodles. 25 Years Through The Wrong End of The Telescope offers a rare glimpse into the artistic life of this celebrated American icon and chronicles almost seven decades of work that, in every respect, is uniquely, stylistically, and endearingly Seussian.

A CELEBRATION OF 25 YEARS

San Diego, California: In 1996, art dealer Robert Chase Jr. met with Audrey Geisel to discuss
her late husband’s artwork. While the world knew of Dr. Seuss’s children’s book illustrations,
hundreds of major paintings, sculptures, and illustrations spanning nearly his entire 70-year
career had remained unseen. This archive includes concept drawings and final line drawings
painstakingly created for his children’s books, artwork created in the 1930s and 1940s for
early commercial projects, and private paintings and sculpture created within the intimate
setting of his studio. Both Chase and Geisel believed this hidden work deserved to be seen.
Drawing upon his roots in Surrealism and his extensive work in contemporary art, Chase
recognized the important surrealist influences across Dr. Seuss’s archive, as well as his
profound impact on late 20th and early 21st century artists who would follow after him. Chase
and Geisel envisioned a project whereby Dr. Seuss’s imagery would finally be seen and
exhibited next to the likes of Dali, Picasso, and Warhol, as well as be made available for
private acquisition via fine art limited editions. The resulting Art of Dr. Seuss Collection has become one of the most comprehensive projects ever undertaken posthumously.

Nearly 300 gallery, museum, and public exhibitions have been mounted globally over the past
25 years, garnering both critical and popular attention from the art world and collecting public.
Three major coffee table books have been published on The Art of Dr. Seuss, and most
importantly, Theodor Seuss Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss) has taken his rightful place recognized
internationally as one of the greatest artistic talents of the 20th century.

WHAT: Prints & sculpture from the Art of Dr. Seuss Collection. Presented at the Holland
Area Arts Council and graciously sponsored in a joint cultural effort with The Pinnacle Art Group.
WHEN: May 1 – May 31, 2024
WHERE: The Holland Area Arts Council 150 East 8th Street Holland, Michigan 49423
WEBSITE: www.hollandarts.org

All Images:
TM & © 2024 Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P. All Rights Reserved