Striped Suit, J. Seeley (b. 1946), c.1980 serigraph, 29x22 in, hand signed & numbered 14/175, Op Art figurative print
A striking original serigraph titled Striped Suit by J. Seeley (born 1946), hand signed and numbered 14/175, measuring approximately 29 x 22 inches. This bold figurative composition features a cropped female form in a striped bodysuit framed by a golden circular motif, blending photographic precision with graphic minimalism. A powerful example of late 20th-century conceptual printmaking. Provenance: Mitch Morse Gallery; current owner Artfind Gallery, Washington DC.
Artwork Description
Striped Suit captures J. Seeley’s distinctive fusion of photography and graphic reduction. The composition presents a cropped female torso and bent leg in a tightly patterned striped bodysuit, set against a restrained architectural field of deep teal and cream. A segmented golden circular form frames the figure, creating both motion and visual tension.
The optical vibration of the striped garment is central to the work. The pattern bends and narrows across the body, creating dynamic distortion that echoes Op Art principles while maintaining a conceptual photographic foundation. Seeley, trained under Harry Callahan at the Rhode Island School of Design, frequently explored high-contrast imagery and controlled abstraction derived from photographic sources. In this serigraph, tonal modeling is flattened into bold color planes while preserving the photographic sense of light and structure.
The figure’s shadowed duplicate reinforces rhythm and movement, suggesting both motion study and layered exposure. The dotted circular motif functions almost as a halo or mechanical apparatus, referencing both performance and constructed imagery. The overall aesthetic situates the work firmly within late 1970s–early 1980s American conceptual and photographic-based printmaking.
Medium: serigraph (screenprint) on paper
Dimensions: approximately 29 x 22 inches
Edition: 14/175
Signature: hand signed in pencil lower right
Condition: light foxing in margins consistent with age
The impression is crisp with strong color saturation and clean graphic edges.
Artist Biography
J. Seeley (born 1946) is an American artist whose career bridges photography, graphics, and conceptual printmaking. He earned a B.S. from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1969 and an M.F.A. from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1971, studying under Harry Callahan, one of the most influential figures in American modernist photography.
Seeley became a University Assistant Professor of Art in 1972 and built a significant exhibition record throughout the 1970s and early 1980s across the United States and internationally. Solo and two-person exhibitions included the University of Dundee (Scotland), University of Southern Illinois, Wesleyan University, University of Dayton Creative Photography Gallery, Michigan State University Kresge Art Center, Neikrug Gallery (New York), Colorado State University, Colorado Mountain College, Paul de Pury Gallery (Antwerp, Belgium), Galerie Panselinos (Salonika, Greece), Light Impressions (Rochester, NY), Concordia University (Montreal), and Image Gallery (New York), among others.
Group exhibitions include Diverse Directions II at the Center for Contemporary Art, Beverly Hills; Off the Wall at the Catskill Center for Photography; Rhode Island School of Design Alumni Shows; National Print Biennial (Krakow, Poland); Andromeda National Exhibition of Photography; and Photographics Exhibition at Eastman House, New York.
His work entered major collections including University of New Hampshire; Bowdoin College Museum of Art; Rhode Island School of Design; Jacksonville Children’s Museum; University of Iowa Museum of Art; University of Colorado, Boulder; Cincinnati Museum of Art; and Time/Life Incorporated.
Publications featuring his work include Graphis (Switzerland); Zoom (France); Foto (Germany); Fotografia (Italy); Nueva Lente Fotografia (Spain); Photography Annual (U.S.A.); Camera Arts (Japan); and Photo-Graphic Magazine (U.S.A.). His work appeared in The New York Times, National Observer, Atlantic Monthly, Technical Photography, Popular Photography, and American Photographer. He contributed to Darkroom Dynamics with a chapter on High Contrast Photography.
Grants include awards from the Connecticut Commission on the Arts and multiple Wesleyan Project Grants. He received First Prize in the National Nikon Competition, College Teachers Division, in 1977. Commissions include Polaroid Corporation and a large mural installation in Providence, Rhode Island.
Seeley’s work occupies an important position within late 20th-century photographic abstraction and graphic reinterpretation. While initially recognized for high-contrast black-and-white photography, his transition into serigraph and graphic editions allowed him to translate photographic distortion into bold chromatic planes. The visual language seen in Striped Suit reflects this evolution: disciplined composition, strong graphic reduction, and optical energy.
Collectors increasingly recognize artists who bridged photography and printmaking during this transitional era between analog experimentation and digital imaging. Seeley’s exhibition record and institutional holdings support continued scholarly interest. As of 2026, his limited edition serigraphs remain accessible yet increasingly appreciated among collectors of conceptual and photo-based modernist works.
J. Seeley (b. 1946)
Striped Suit
Serigraph on paper
29 x 22 inches
Signed and numbered 14/175
Certificate of Authentication
This certifies that Striped Suit is an original serigraph by J. Seeley (born 1946).
Medium: serigraph on paper
Dimensions: 29 x 22 inches
Edition: 14/175
Signature: hand signed in pencil
Provenance: Mitch Morse Gallery; Artfind Gallery, Washington DC
Authenticity guaranteed as described.
Condition
Good vintage condition. Light foxing and minor age toning in margins. Image area remains strong with no visible tears or structural damage.
Provenance
Mitch Morse Gallery, New York (acquired in NYC, United States and Europe)
Private Collection
Artfind Gallery, Washington DC (Current Owner)
Citations: Artist CV and exhibition record from provided biography sheets; edition and signature confirmed from sheet images; institutional collections verified from CV; market comparisons based on similar late 20th-century signed serigraph sales.
Striped Suit, J. Seeley (b. 1946), c.1980 serigraph, 29x22 in, hand signed & numbered 14/175, Op Art figurative print
A striking original serigraph titled Striped Suit by J. Seeley (born 1946), hand signed and numbered 14/175, measuring approximately 29 x 22 inches. This bold figurative composition features a cropped female form in a striped bodysuit framed by a golden circular motif, blending photographic precision with graphic minimalism. A powerful example of late 20th-century conceptual printmaking. Provenance: Mitch Morse Gallery; current owner Artfind Gallery, Washington DC.
Artwork Description
Striped Suit captures J. Seeley’s distinctive fusion of photography and graphic reduction. The composition presents a cropped female torso and bent leg in a tightly patterned striped bodysuit, set against a restrained architectural field of deep teal and cream. A segmented golden circular form frames the figure, creating both motion and visual tension.
The optical vibration of the striped garment is central to the work. The pattern bends and narrows across the body, creating dynamic distortion that echoes Op Art principles while maintaining a conceptual photographic foundation. Seeley, trained under Harry Callahan at the Rhode Island School of Design, frequently explored high-contrast imagery and controlled abstraction derived from photographic sources. In this serigraph, tonal modeling is flattened into bold color planes while preserving the photographic sense of light and structure.
The figure’s shadowed duplicate reinforces rhythm and movement, suggesting both motion study and layered exposure. The dotted circular motif functions almost as a halo or mechanical apparatus, referencing both performance and constructed imagery. The overall aesthetic situates the work firmly within late 1970s–early 1980s American conceptual and photographic-based printmaking.
Medium: serigraph (screenprint) on paper
Dimensions: approximately 29 x 22 inches
Edition: 14/175
Signature: hand signed in pencil lower right
Condition: light foxing in margins consistent with age
The impression is crisp with strong color saturation and clean graphic edges.
Artist Biography
J. Seeley (born 1946) is an American artist whose career bridges photography, graphics, and conceptual printmaking. He earned a B.S. from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1969 and an M.F.A. from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1971, studying under Harry Callahan, one of the most influential figures in American modernist photography.
Seeley became a University Assistant Professor of Art in 1972 and built a significant exhibition record throughout the 1970s and early 1980s across the United States and internationally. Solo and two-person exhibitions included the University of Dundee (Scotland), University of Southern Illinois, Wesleyan University, University of Dayton Creative Photography Gallery, Michigan State University Kresge Art Center, Neikrug Gallery (New York), Colorado State University, Colorado Mountain College, Paul de Pury Gallery (Antwerp, Belgium), Galerie Panselinos (Salonika, Greece), Light Impressions (Rochester, NY), Concordia University (Montreal), and Image Gallery (New York), among others.
Group exhibitions include Diverse Directions II at the Center for Contemporary Art, Beverly Hills; Off the Wall at the Catskill Center for Photography; Rhode Island School of Design Alumni Shows; National Print Biennial (Krakow, Poland); Andromeda National Exhibition of Photography; and Photographics Exhibition at Eastman House, New York.
His work entered major collections including University of New Hampshire; Bowdoin College Museum of Art; Rhode Island School of Design; Jacksonville Children’s Museum; University of Iowa Museum of Art; University of Colorado, Boulder; Cincinnati Museum of Art; and Time/Life Incorporated.
Publications featuring his work include Graphis (Switzerland); Zoom (France); Foto (Germany); Fotografia (Italy); Nueva Lente Fotografia (Spain); Photography Annual (U.S.A.); Camera Arts (Japan); and Photo-Graphic Magazine (U.S.A.). His work appeared in The New York Times, National Observer, Atlantic Monthly, Technical Photography, Popular Photography, and American Photographer. He contributed to Darkroom Dynamics with a chapter on High Contrast Photography.
Grants include awards from the Connecticut Commission on the Arts and multiple Wesleyan Project Grants. He received First Prize in the National Nikon Competition, College Teachers Division, in 1977. Commissions include Polaroid Corporation and a large mural installation in Providence, Rhode Island.
Seeley’s work occupies an important position within late 20th-century photographic abstraction and graphic reinterpretation. While initially recognized for high-contrast black-and-white photography, his transition into serigraph and graphic editions allowed him to translate photographic distortion into bold chromatic planes. The visual language seen in Striped Suit reflects this evolution: disciplined composition, strong graphic reduction, and optical energy.
Collectors increasingly recognize artists who bridged photography and printmaking during this transitional era between analog experimentation and digital imaging. Seeley’s exhibition record and institutional holdings support continued scholarly interest. As of 2026, his limited edition serigraphs remain accessible yet increasingly appreciated among collectors of conceptual and photo-based modernist works.
J. Seeley (b. 1946)
Striped Suit
Serigraph on paper
29 x 22 inches
Signed and numbered 14/175
Certificate of Authentication
This certifies that Striped Suit is an original serigraph by J. Seeley (born 1946).
Medium: serigraph on paper
Dimensions: 29 x 22 inches
Edition: 14/175
Signature: hand signed in pencil
Provenance: Mitch Morse Gallery; Artfind Gallery, Washington DC
Authenticity guaranteed as described.
Condition
Good vintage condition. Light foxing and minor age toning in margins. Image area remains strong with no visible tears or structural damage.
Provenance
Mitch Morse Gallery, New York (acquired in NYC, United States and Europe)
Private Collection
Artfind Gallery, Washington DC (Current Owner)
Citations: Artist CV and exhibition record from provided biography sheets; edition and signature confirmed from sheet images; institutional collections verified from CV; market comparisons based on similar late 20th-century signed serigraph sales.
