“I like nonsense; it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it’s looking at life through the wrong end of the telescope. Which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life’s realities.” – Dr. Seuss
Of course the cat of The Cat in the Hat wore a hat ,but so did Bartholomew Cubbins, the Grinch and even the unnamed character pestered by Sam I Am.
Book after book, Dr. Seuss’ imaginative creatures don distinctive headpieces. Hat-collecting was a private and much-loved hobby of Theodore Geisel, known worldwide as Dr. Seuss.
Having collected hundreds of them, Geisel hid his hats behind a bookcase in his home in the La Jolla area of San Diego, Calif. Geisel’s love of hats oozed into his work as Dr. Seuss, taking shape with his hundreds of characters.
In honor of the 75th anniversary of Dr. Seuss’ second book, “The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins,” an exhibition titled Hats Off to Dr. Seuss! was created to combine Geisel’s two secret collections his personal paintings and his fantastical hats.
On Feb. 1, the exhibition kicked off at the New York Public Library in New York, NY. Wilmington’s The Gallery @ Racine was the third stop on the tour, showing from Feb. 22 to March 10. Mike Golonka, director of the gallery, described just what could be found in the exhibit.
“Of Dr. Seuss’ art there are serigraphs and lithographs,” Golonka said. “You also have sculptures and bronzes … it’s all in the editions.”
With a total of 16 stops, the final showing will be held from Dec. 13 to Dec. 29 at the Marcus Ashley Gallery in Lake Tahoe, Nev.
“All ages have come to see his work,” Golonka said. “About 10 schools have visited as well as a senior care center group. There’s more than just kid art. He painted many paintings, which is more of the adult side … it’s more than one frame compared to the book art which is many.”
Geisel began collecting hats from around the world in the 1930s. His exhibition provides a look into a portion of his collection, 118 pieces, over a period of 60 years.
“We’re able to show so many of his paintings,” Golonka said. “[Seuss’] wife, Audrey, let us take a closer look inside the real man … it’s kind of like fitting all of the puzzle pieces together. There is significance to the hats and you can see that in the fact that there are so many in his paintings and books. In a way it’s about tying his whole identity together, we’re finding out who he really was.”
After his passing, Geisel’s wife, Audrey, brought forth a visual realization and understanding of Dr. Seuss’ fanciful and whimsical worlds. It was revealed that his artistic talent went far beyond the pages of his stories.
“It’s unique to see his whole career and what he did,” Golonka said. “To see his encompassing work, especially, at the point in time he was alive. From very early what he did was pretty outstanding with what he had to work with. It was nothing like what you would have today. There weren’t art supply stores … the conveniences of today weren’t there then.”
According to Golonka, the Hats Off to Dr. Seuss! exhibit transports viewers into Dr. Seuss’ marriage of art and hats. The collection showcases the direct impact on both Seuss’ literary and visual art.
“He had to be extremely creative because at the time the resources we have now didn’t exist,” Golonka said. “It’s looking at his work from a different standpoint.”
