Comments on: Know of an artist named Art Seller? I do now.

Know of an artist named Art Seller? I do now.

horsemuth — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 07:36:07 -0800

I posted this question about 2 ½ years ago and I wanted to give a followup and say "thanks".

So, as stated in the question, I was moved by a print that I had seen in an office about 15 years ago, and was looking for more information on the artist, Arthur Seller. I had searched the internet in vain since that time, looking for anything on the artist; biographical info, other prints, that particular print - whatever I could find I would be happy about. Finally, I decided to give up and ask for your help. As you can see from the few answers, it wasn't for lack of trying or my poor searching, there just wasn't much about him to be found. Months passed, and one day I received an email from Mathowie informing me that someone had contacted him regarding the post and he was forwarding their message: "One of your postings was looking for the artist Arthur Seller. He is my father. If you want more information, you can reach me at ..." I was of course excited, but since my wife and I just had our second child a month before, and constructing a reply that I was comfortable with would take several agonizing hours of writing/editing/rewriting, it got put at the bottom of the list where it taunted me on a daily basis. I finally made myself sit down and write back, exactly one year after I posted the question. A couple of days later, I received a reply from his daughter, Wendy, with the following biographical information (reprinted with her permission): "My father was born in 1918 and spent his teen years in foster homes in Massachusetts. He was trained at the Massachusetts College of Art where he received a degree in Graphic Design. He was very strong at design and calligraphy, and worked at first in Boston before moving to NYC. He became one of the Head Art Supervisors at Young & Rubicam in New York, which (at the time) was the 2nd largest advertising agency in the world. When he had been there for 10 years, he was given his first four-week vacation -- which he took all at once. The day he returned to work, he called my mother and told her that he couldn't do it any more. He had been commuting by train for many years from Westport, CT, where my brother and I were raised. Without flinching, my mother said she would pick him up on the noon train, and this began his next career. For the following 2 years he tried to figure out his next step. He taught himself color photography, got himself an agent, and traveled around the world taking photographs for major publications and corporate annual reports. At the age of 50, he and my mother moved to Rockport, Massachusetts where my mother went into real estate so that my father could paint. He created oil paintings similar to your print for about 7 years, working in his studio that overlooks the ocean. At the age of 57 he had a hip replacement (I can't remember if this was his first, 2nd or 3rd). While he was recovering, he taught himself printmaking. His silkscreen prints were very complex; some had up to 44 colors. He created them singlehandedly in limited editions, some while he was on crutches. At his peak he had as many as 30 galleries up and down the east coast. My father died in 1991 at the age of 72. " Wendy's email went on to say that her mother, Suzanne, is still around. She's 89 and she lives in that same house in Rockport, where she runs a gallery, and here's her email address... "Well, I'm not going to let this one go for a year", I thought, so I write to Suzanne immediately to tell her how I was touched by her husband's work, and how much joy it brought me, even just remembering it. She wrote back the same day to say that she was in the process of selling the house/gallery and was selling some of his prints, and she in fact, had the one that I was looking for - "The Boat". Would I like it? And the rest is history. My son and I spent the afternoon driving to her place and talking with her, and the print now hangs at our house. Since then, we've kept in touch with Suzanne, who is a wonderful, inspirational woman and my family is looking forward to driving up and visiting her this summer. The funny thing is, after all of this, while I still enjoy "The Boat" on its' own, it has come to mean so much more to me. Every time I look at it, I can't help but think of Wendy and Suzanne, Metafilter and the random people on the internet who have stumbled across that post and emailed me to try to help. Thanks everyone! Additional info on Art Seller: Brief bio The Making of a Serigraph Suzanne also wrote a book called Wild Alternatives about artistic inspiration and personal growth a few years ago (at 85) that contains some personal stories and insight into Art Seller as well.

By: ThePinkSuperhero

ThePinkSuperhero — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 07:37:57 -0800

Yay! I love Rockport :D

By: jillithd

jillithd — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 07:41:16 -0800

What a great story!

By: jessamyn

jessamyn — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 07:44:07 -0800

Hey thanks for letting us know, that's a great story.

By: misterbrandt

misterbrandt — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 07:46:10 -0800

Rad.

Can we get the original post modified (get it?) with a link to this thread?

By: languagehat

languagehat — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 07:49:47 -0800

Wonderful story, and I thank you for posting it here.

By: Miko

Miko — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 07:50:03 -0800

really wonderful story! You've inspired me...I have a couple of woodblock prints I want to know more about. What a great outcome to your story. The Cape Ann arts community is pretty amazing.

By: Miko

Miko — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 07:50:30 -0800

Also, the print is mesmerizing.

By: chococat

chococat — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 07:51:22 -0800

Very cool story.

By: xingcat

xingcat — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 07:51:23 -0800

That is the coolest story. Plus, you get a really great piece of art out of it! Wini/win!

By: Forktine

Forktine — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 07:51:54 -0800

Neat!

By: Metroid Baby

Metroid Baby — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 07:54:31 -0800

Art Seller? Real-life eponysterical!

This is such a great follow-up. Thanks for sharing with us, and kudos to the Seller family for offering you their help and friendship. They sound like lovely people.

By: bardophile

bardophile — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 07:58:06 -0800

That's awesome. Thank you so much for sharing the story.

By: victoriab

victoriab — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 07:58:55 -0800

Wow, I wasn't expecting to be blown away when I clicked on "The Boat" link. I can see why it stayed with you all these years because it's hauntingly beautiful. Really very cool. Congratulations on the whole experience.

By: Kangaroo

Kangaroo — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 08:00:47 -0800

This is a great story. I love it when the internets bring people together in such a meaningful and positive way. Thanks for sharing this. Reading it made me feel quite happy.

By: Elmore

Elmore — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 08:05:40 -0800

That's great. Thanks for posting.

By: Rock Steady

Rock Steady — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 08:07:24 -0800

Great art is always enhanced by a great story. Very cool.

Wow, I wasn't expecting to be blown away when I clicked on "The Boat" link. I can see why it stayed with you all these years because it's hauntingly beautiful.

Agree completely. If there is a place to buy reasonably priced reproductions of Mr. Sellers' work, I'd love to be pointed towards it.

By: tristeza

tristeza — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 08:10:42 -0800

Wow. Wow.

By: oneirodynia

oneirodynia — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 08:11:51 -0800

This is all kinds of awesome. Thanks for sharing your story!

By: padraigin

padraigin — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 08:20:14 -0800

Wonderful story, thank you so much for the update!

By: anniecat

anniecat — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 08:23:34 -0800

This is the kind of story I like =)

By: Namlit

Namlit — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 08:23:54 -0800

How in the world did he arrive at that color of the sun!! It s like you're right there. Amazing.
(great story, too)

By: zarq

zarq — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 08:26:59 -0800

How awesome!

By: booknerd

booknerd — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 08:29:22 -0800

Great story. Thanks for sharing!

By: rtha

rtha — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 08:35:01 -0800

That's amazing! Thanks so much for the follow-up.

By: mintcake!

mintcake! — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 08:43:39 -0800

Reading this was like spraying a big can of Grar-B-Gone. Thanks for the swell update - that painting is fabulous.

By: DrGirlfriend

DrGirlfriend — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 08:47:38 -0800

This was wonderful to read. Thank you for the update.

By: PepperMax

PepperMax — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 08:57:39 -0800

This is touching & moving on so many levels, & to boot, the print itself is magical. I, too, like not only to appreciate an artist's creation but wish to understand more about the person behind it & the experiences & process which led to the work's creation. How wonderful that so much came from your initial inquiry. As I've said before, MF rocks.

By: bilabial

bilabial — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 08:59:52 -0800

I'm in bed today, not feeling well.

The Boat just made my eye leak a little with calm...something. I love you, metafilter.

By: SpacemanStix

SpacemanStix — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 09:01:42 -0800

Fantastic story. That should make it into the next MeFi magazine.

By: ericb

ericb — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 09:02:30 -0800

I wonder if Art Seller every painted Rockport's famous Motif 1 -- ""the most often-painted building in America."

By: OmieWise

OmieWise — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 09:05:05 -0800

Good story!

By: vacapinta

vacapinta — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 09:06:08 -0800

Thanks for the story!

Is there any way to see more of his work?

By: marxchivist

marxchivist — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 09:11:02 -0800

Reading this was like spraying a big can of Grar-B-Gone.

Ha! Yeah, that.

Thanks for posting this, great story!

By: DreamerFi

DreamerFi — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 09:19:46 -0800

Flagged as awesome.

By: clavdivs

clavdivs — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 09:44:52 -0800

wow, neat story.

By: Hoopo

Hoopo — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 09:45:16 -0800

Art Seller? Real-life eponysterical!

And I would assume very difficult to Google. "art seller prints"?

By: jtron

jtron — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 09:46:58 -0800

And it couldn't happen to a nicer guy. horsemuth and I were next door neighbors for a couple years before either of us had an account; it was a pleasant surprise to run into him here a while back.

By: Miko

Miko — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 09:55:49 -0800

ericb, that would make a cool FPP.

By: Iteki

Iteki — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 10:05:00 -0800

Beautiful piece, and great story, thanks!

By: Lynsey

Lynsey — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 10:16:47 -0800

This is a great story and deserves to be added to the Metafilter canon (whatever that is(?)). Thanks for sharing!

By: yarly

yarly — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 10:43:20 -0800

Aw!

By: The World Famous

The World Famous — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 10:46:16 -0800

Wow. I love that painting. Now I want one, too.

By: MCMikeNamara

MCMikeNamara — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 10:51:25 -0800

Awesome story and I love the art too.

Also, when asked to define what I'd be looking for in a partner:

... told her that he couldn't do it any more.... Without flinching, my mother said she would pick him up on the noon train...

about describes it.

By: CunningLinguist

CunningLinguist — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 11:13:32 -0800

Thanks so much for posting this. I wasn't expecting such a great story, just as I didn't expect the print to be what it was. Very cool.

By: iamkimiam

iamkimiam — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 11:14:56 -0800

Fantastic all around. And oh my, that print is phenomenal. You have something special there.

By: terrapin

terrapin — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 11:16:27 -0800

I plan to be in Rockport in June for a wedding. I hope I can still visit before it is sold.

By: omegar

omegar — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 11:36:48 -0800

Oh, wow. Great stroy.

By: zizzle

zizzle — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 11:53:52 -0800

Truly amazing!

By: thinkpiece

thinkpiece — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 12:18:46 -0800

The image was so unexpected and then, so haunting. Great all around, just great.

By: trip and a half

trip and a half — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 12:19:06 -0800

This is all kinds of yay! And I'm another one who covets a print of that painting and wants to see more of Mr. Seller's work.

By: futureisunwritten

futureisunwritten — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 12:19:39 -0800

Very cool!

By: judith

judith — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 12:47:25 -0800

Fantastic story & fantastic art - thanks for sharing.

By: FelliniBlank

FelliniBlank — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 13:44:19 -0800

He became one of the Head Art Supervisors at Young & Rubicam in New York, which (at the time) was the 2nd largest advertising agency in the world. When he had been there for 10 years, he was given his first four-week vacation -- which he took all at once. The day he returned to work, he called my mother and told her that he couldn't do it any more. He had been commuting by train for many years from Westport, CT, where my brother and I were raised. Without flinching, my mother said she would pick him up on the noon train, and this began his next career.

Wow, it's Anti-Don-Draper. How wonderful, and what a smart fellow to follow his bliss. Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful story.

By: FelliniBlank

FelliniBlank — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 13:45:02 -0800

Also, wonderful.

By: patheral

patheral — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 14:08:49 -0800

That's a great story, thanks for sharing it.

By: chillmost

chillmost — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 14:16:39 -0800

That is such a cool picture.

By: gomichild

gomichild — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 16:02:50 -0800

Wonderful story (^_^)/

By: UbuRoivas

UbuRoivas — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 16:20:59 -0800

Agreeing that The Boat is a beautiful & haunting picture.

Until I saw it I was expecting some kind of hokey romanticised Ye Olde Sea Salte fishing trawler, complete with seagulls, fishing nets & Sailor Jake smoking a pipe, but that print was something else.

Now I really want to see more of his art.

By: safetyfork

safetyfork — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 18:06:22 -0800

Thanks for sharing. Awesome story.

By: thehmsbeagle

thehmsbeagle — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 18:13:06 -0800

That is a great story and a great image. I don't know what I was expecting, but that is really wonderful.

By: amyms

amyms — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 18:28:05 -0800

Wonderful story and a gorgeous piece of art, thanks for sharing!

By: immlass

immlass — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 19:26:33 -0800

What an awesome story!

By: stoneweaver

stoneweaver — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 19:58:37 -0800

I can see why you were so taken with the print - it's lovely! And the story just makes it better. How amazing to get this update!

By: misozaki

misozaki — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 22:12:44 -0800

Wow! Thank you for sharing!

By: cashman

cashman — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 04:54:05 -0800

Soo neat!

By: UbuRoivas

UbuRoivas — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 05:23:34 -0800

Shouldn't this be sidebarred?

By: dazed_one

dazed_one — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 07:36:15 -0800

That was cool. Great tale.

By: azpenguin

azpenguin — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 07:53:34 -0800

This is just awesome. The print is fantastic, and the family getting it to you is a beautiful thing. His life story is great. If anyone from Mr. Seller's family sees this thread, thank you for what you have done.

By: Alvy Ampersand

Alvy Ampersand — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 09:27:23 -0800

Wow, that's fantastic! Thanks for sharing the story!

By: essexjan

essexjan — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 09:34:38 -0800

Excellent. I love AskMe updates.

By: Offenbach

Offenbach — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 11:24:14 -0800

Both my mother and I have seen this and read your comments. Thank you for your interest in my father and his work. I am very happy to reply to any of your questions, although I am unable to do so until tomorrow. (Arthur Seller's daughter)

By: lalex

lalex — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 11:38:16 -0800

Offenbach, thank you for joining us! I'd love to know if there anywhere we can view more of your father's work.

By: .kobayashi.

.kobayashi. — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 15:20:11 -0800

Cool story. Also, ericb, there's an FPP waiting to be made on "the most painted building in america." Any interest in making (or helping to make) that happen?

By: ericb

ericb — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 20:46:41 -0800

Also, ericb, there's an FPP waiting to be made on "the most painted building in america."

Done.

By: fire&wings

fire&wings — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 09:58:42 -0800

That print is absolutely fantastic. He seems an underrated artist.

By: activitystory

activitystory — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 13:30:32 -0800

I was going to say the same thing, fire&wings... did not expect to be that blown away by it after already reading such a nice story.

By: Offenbach

Offenbach — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 18:52:49 -0800

I did respond to your questions yesterday (extensively), and since I could not "save" my comments as I was writing, I went to print them out before hitting the SUBMIT button, when every word vanished in a flash into cyberspace!

I am back here hoping to recreate what I had written.

A number of you have asked how to see more of my father's work. My mother just recently sold her four-story house in Rockport and downsized to a wonderful two-room apartment nearby. All of my father's paintings and prints have been relocated to my husband's photographic studio in Boston for safekeeping, and he will be documenting everything digitally in the coming months. Once this process is complete, we intend to create a website consisting of my father's serigraph prints and paintings, and I will return to MF to let you know that the site is active. You will also be able to Google "ARTHUR SELLER" to gain access to it.

My father made all of his very large and meticulous prints by himself, after designing them first on a smaller scale using acrylic paints. Most of his large-scale serigraphs were created single-handedly, in editions of 200. Before he died in 1991, his work could be found in many galleries up and down the East Coast. His most complex print was entitled "Forty Four", which consisted of 44 perfectly aligned colors. Nearly all of his print editions were created while he was standing on crutches, for long hours each day.

My family has held onto one print from each edition for our own collection. When Tom wrote to us looking for "The Boat", we discovered that there was only one of this work remaining. My mother and I were so both moved by Tom's story that we agreed to relinquish our last print. It is every artist's dream to have someone moved by your art to this degree.

With regards to Motif #1 -- "supposedly" the most painted building in the world -- my father has never painted this structure, and I vowed I would never do so either. However when I told this to my father years ago, he went into his closet and pulled out two paintings of Motif #1 that I had created when I was 12. I have no recollection of having done these.

My mother, who is also a painter and a published author, has just begun the next chapter of her life, and is filled with excitement about her next writing project.

By: Rock Steady

Rock Steady — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 00:24:35 -0800

However when I told this to my father years ago, he went into his closet and pulled out two paintings of Motif #1 that I had created when I was 12. I have no recollection of having done these.

Ha! A classic "Dad" move. Looking forward to seeing more of his work.

By: Offenbach

Offenbach — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 06:53:00 -0800

Indeed.

By: nickyskye

nickyskye — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 02:46:26 -0800

Amazing. I love the print you got! A wonderful, moving story and experience.