"Secrets of The Deep" Art Exhibition - Gunnar Nordstrom Gallery

Exhibition features newly released artworks from the award-winning book, "Secrets of the Deep"

In celebration of the Independent Book Publisher’s 2011 award-winning book, Dr. Seuss’s Secrets of the Deep: The Lost, Forgotten, and Hidden Works of Theodor Seuss Geisel, we proudly announce an exhibition commemorating this prized volume. The Secrets of the Deep Art Exhibition presents an expanded and reorganized look at Dr. Seuss’s artistic legacy with a focus on the extraordinary collection of imagery reproduced from his nearly seventy-year artistic career. This exhibition offers an insider’s view of Dr. Seuss’s little known private works; the windows to the world of an unassuming genius. Artistically, they embody a magical combination of the person and persona of Ted Geisel and Dr. Seuss and, in many ways, are what one imagines the Good Doctor would create late at night in his hilltop studio. At other times, the imagery and titles stretch well beyond all preconceived notions. In either case, Seuss delivers a feast of visual stunners, dense with ideas. Also featured are artworks and imagery from his most beloved children’s books.

As children, we grew up on Seuss’s playful verse and zealous imagination. As adults, we realize that Theodor Seuss Geisel is not just an important and innovative 20th-century painter but one of the few artists working in any medium who knows how to make people happy while at the same time inspiring them to think.

Artist representative, Jeffrey Schuffman, will be present at the exhibition opening at 6:00 pm on Wednesday, April 11th, to provide insights into Geisel’s artistic life, his unique vision, and his impact on American culture. Exhibition curator, William Dreyer, is available for phone interviews at 847.564.2000 ext. 26.

About the Gallery

TheGunnar Nordstrom Gallery, in business since 1985 features original paintings, sculpture, and limited edition fine art prints in styles ranging from contemporary to traditional masterworks. The gallery represents acclaimed American, regional and international artists with rotating exhibits monthly.

Gunnar Nordstrom Gallery:

• Location: 800 Bellevue Way N.E. #111 Bellevue, WA 98004
• On the Courtyard of the Hyatt Regency Hotel
• Hours: The gallery is open 7 Days - Mon.-Sat. 9:30 - 8:00 Sunday 12:00 - 5:00
• Information: 425-283-0461 gunnarnordstrom@gmail.com
• Admission: Free

About the Award-Winning Book:

The 15th annual Independent Publisher Books Awards for the “best independent titles of the year” were presented in New York on May 23, 2011 as an adjunct to BookExpo America.

Secrets of the Deep: The Lost, Forgotten, and Hidden Works of Theodor Seuss Geisel received the 2011 Gold Medal in the National Fine Art Category, winning over entries from 45 states, plus the District of Columbia, 7 Canadian provinces, and 7 countries overseas.

This year’s contest attracted 3,059 entries in the national categories and 848 entries in the regional competitions. The judges declared that they “found excellence in every category, and we proclaim the quality, creativity, and originality of independent publishing to be better than ever.”

Secrets of the Deep is a 349-page visual-history monograph on Dr. Seuss, comprised of 305 artworks, and 25 black-and-white photographs of Ted Geisel, many of which were provided by the Seuss Estate. Insightful essays complement the imagery, giving a fresh perspective into the artistic evolution of Ted’s vast career. For further information, go to: http://www.independentpublisher.com/article.php?page=1442.

About the Exhibition:

For over 70 years, Theodor Seuss Geisel’s illustrations brought a visual realization to his fantastic imaginary worlds. However, his artistic talent went far beyond the printed page. Ted Geisel’s “Secret Art,” the paintings and sculptures created at night for his own personal enjoyment, were rarely if ever exhibited during his lifetime. Seuss always dreamed of sharing these works with his fans and had entrusted his wife, Audrey, to carry out his wishes once he was gone. Audrey, too, believed the work deserved further recognition and that Ted himself would one day be evaluated not only as an author, but also as an artist in his own right. In 1997 this dream was realized when The Art of Dr. Seuss project was launched. For the first time, authorized estate editions were re-created from Geisel’s original drawings, paintings, and sculpture for private collection and museum exhibition. Audrey Geisel (Mrs. Dr. Seuss) writes in her introduction to the Secrets of the Deep book, “It is with great pleasure that I share Ted, his art, his imagination, and his boundless creativity. I’m gratified to carry out Ted’s wishes and have these works revealed to the world.”

Included in the Exhibit will be some 40 works of art comprised of both limited edition prints and sculpture.

About the Artist: Theodor Seuss Geisel (American, 1904–1991)

Theodor Seuss Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss, began his career as a little known editorial cartoonist in the 1920s. 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.

Dr. Seuss is currently best known as one of the most beloved and bestselling children's authors of all time, having written and illustrated classics such as The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, and How The Grinch Stole Christmas! Geisel was also a political cartoonist for PM magazine during World War II, as well as a contributing illustrator for Vanity Fair and Life.

He had a long, successful advertising career, and was an Academy Award winner for his wartime documentaries, as well as his animated short film, Gerald McBoing Boing. Today his paintings hang in fine art galleries alongside old and contemporary masters including Picasso, Warhol, Rembrandt, Miró, and others.

His unique artistic vision emerged as the golden thread which linked every facet of his varied career and his artwork became the platform from which he delivered 44 children’s books, over 400 World War II political cartoons, hundreds of advertisements, and countless editorials filled with wonderfully inventive animals, characters, and clever 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.