Cecile Blackmore | On 20, Nov 2015

The Art of Dr Seuss celebrates nearly 70 years of creativity – see a different side of your favourite children’s author at Mitchell Fine Art Gallery in Fortitude Valley soon.

There are few of us whose childhoods weren’t brightened by the distinctive, elaborate illustrations and madcap rhymes of Theodore Seuss Geisel – better know by his pseudonym Dr Seuss (and did you know it was originally prounounced to rhyme with “voice”?). His works continue to delight today’s audiences, with many of his 60 children’s books remaining at the top of best-seller lists long after his death in 1991.

But much like The Magic Pudding’s Norman Lindsay with his vast collection of buxom nude paintings or Roald Dahl with his sinister adult fiction, Dr Seuss’s work spanned far beyond his children’s books. He was also an avid sculptor (sometimes working with taxidermy), political cartoonist, animator and painter – and boasted a fantastic hat collection to boot.

 

 

We may have not realised as children, but Seuss’s own political beliefs often carried over into his picture books – he once described himself as “subversive as hell”. The Lorax promoted the importance of ecosystems and decried man-made pollution, Yertle the Turtle (removed from many schools) featured the fall of a Hitler-like dictator, while The Sneetches took a stand against racism and discrimination based on outward appearance.

 

 

 

Since the project’s launch in 1997, The Art of Dr Seuss is finally coming to Brisbane, at Fortitude Valley’s Mitchell Fine Art. On show will be his illustration art, bronze sculptures and the “secret art” series – many of which will be available for purchase. Also on display will be rare museum panels, on loan from the Seuss Estate, featuring memorabilia showcasing Seuss’s 70-year artistic legacy.

 

The Details:

What: The Art of Dr Seuss

Where: Mitchell Fine Art, 86 Arthur St, Fortitude Valley

When: 25 Nov – 24 Dec 2015

More Info: Visit Mitchell Fine Art online, or RSVP on Facebook

 

Image Credits: The Seuss Estate