Net's the bet for Seuss works unmet
Art retailer The Chase Group, along with IBM and systems integrator Sentinel Technologies, is set to unveil online unpublished art of Theodor Geisel, otherwise known as Dr. Seuss.
Seuss, who died nine years ago at the age of 87, has been known worldwide for the wildly imaginative humor expressed in his children's stories and illustrations, such as "The Cat In The Hat," "Green Eggs and Ham" and "There's a Wocket in My Pocket."
Chaseart.com will display Seuss' original lithographs, which will be offered for sale over the Web at prices ranging from $225 to more than $1,200. In addition to about 11 images of Seuss' lithographs, about nine images come from a collection dubbed the "Secret Art of Dr. Seuss," exhibiting artwork that Seuss created over a period of 60 years.
Bob Chase, president of The Chase Group, said that when Seuss was not working on a book, he painted and sculpted for his own enjoyment as a "creative release." Seuss hung the works only in his home and never showed them to anybody.
"Just before he passed away, his wife had made him a promise that she would figure out a way to get those works out and let them be seen by as many people as possible so that they can see the artist that he truly was," Chase said. "We're really helping her realize that dream."
The site's launch coincides with the Friday opening of the Universal Pictures film "The Grinch," starring Jim Carrey. The first TV movie, the cartoon tale "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," was released in 1966, earning Seuss a Peabody Award.
The site is run by IBM and built on a WebSphere Commerce Suite platform. Sentinel implemented IBM's WebSphere product; Pagliuco Design created the look of the site.
"I remember telling Ted that there would come a day when many of his paintings would be seen and he would thus share with his fans another facet of himself--his private self," Audrey Geisel, the artist's widow, said in a statement. "That day has come. I am glad."