Doing the Dr Seuss Dance

 

From her La Jolla, California home, Audrey Geisel explains to art curator Bill Dyer, what it was like to watch her husband paint.

"He would do this little dance: lean forward, twitch his brush on the canvas. Lean back, tilt his head with a critical eye. Lean forward again and  swab a dab here and there. Sometimes he would add another cat, because in his words, "there was always room for another cat." This two-step shuffle was repeated till he was satisfied with the outcome.

You can see the fruits of the 'Dr Seuss Dance' at the Gardens Mall through Valentine's Day. You are in for a big, bright, delicious gulp of crazy creatures, delightful wit and the unfathomable imagination of the world renown, multi-generational author and illustrator, Theodor Seuss Geisel, known to his friends as Ted and more commonly as:

Dr.Seuss!!!      

                                                                                                           

Who knew this great body of work even existed? We thought he just wrote and illustrated quirky children's books. And that he did. But in 1997 the Chase Art Group, lead by Bill Dyer, started working with Audrey Geisel to present this secret collection to the world. Each year a handful of serigraphs and lithographs are printed and added to the exhibit.

It was no small feat to bring The Hidden Art of Dr Seuss to Palm Beach Gardens. It took two years and a grand collaboration of several organizations. Groups such as the Nicklaus Children's Foundation, the Maltz Jupiter Theatre, The Chase Art Group, the Ann Jackson Gallery, The Cultural Council, and the Gardens Mall.


When asked why he painted cats, Ted Geisel retorted, "Because I can't draw dogs." Here are some of his featured cats from the gallery:

Joseph Katz and the Coat of Many Colors

         Plethora of Cats

  

   

The Hidden Art exhibit represents 60 years of work by Dr Seuss. Limited prints can be purchased at the mall exhibit which runs until February 14th.

Also on display is Seuss' trove of mounted sculptures. Ted's dad worked at the Forest Park Zoo and brought home body parts of deceased birds and beasts. Ted took his dad's offerings of beaks, antlers, horns and turtle shells and invented fantastical creatures with hilarious names.  Over time, Theodor amassed quite a menagerie of weird plaster sculptures he called:

A Collection of  Unorthodox Taxidermy

the Turtle-Necked Sea Turtle

The Sea-Going Dilemma Fish

If painting and sculpture aren't enough to lure you to this one-of-a-kind exhibit, song and dance will. Each weekend, the Maltz Jupiter Conservatory presents excerpts from Seussical. Catch a show Saturdays and Sundays, 1pm and 3pm. January 23rd, 24th, 30th and 31st, February 6th, 7th, 13th and 14th. The youthful troupe is bursting with talent, energy and colorful costumes, sure to delight every viewer, young and old alike.

For more information about weekly readings and other details visit www.thegardensmall.com/events or call (844) 467-3877.

So, come on! Don't miss out on what the Dr Suess Dance contributed to the world of art and literature!

 

Anduluvian Grackler