Walking the Wash, J. Seeley (b. 1946), c.1980, serigraph on Rives paper, 34 × 30 in., hand-signed lower right, edition 38/125.
A striking conceptual black-and-white serigraph by J. Seeley depicting an implied walking figure formed from patterned garments suspended on a clothesline. Published by Art Spectrum and printed on Rives 100% rag paper in an edition of 125, the work blends photographic thinking with graphic abstraction and optical pattern.
Artwork Description
Walking the Wash is a visually inventive limited-edition serigraph by American photographer and conceptual image-maker J. Seeley. Executed in stark black ink on bright white Rives 100% rag paper, the composition transforms everyday laundry into a playful yet intellectually precise illusion of motion.
Across the lower portion of the image stretches a clothesline hung with garments—socks, undergarments, a shirt, stockings, a dress, and a brassiere. Above this line floats the fragmented outline of a human figure composed entirely of patterned clothing forms. Striped stockings suggest legs stepping forward; a curving garment becomes the torso; sleeves and gloves imply outstretched arms; and a wide-brimmed hat completes the silhouette.
The brilliance of the composition lies in its perceptual trick. No single object actually forms a body; rather, the viewer’s eye assembles a walking figure from the spatial relationship of individual garments. Seeley uses alternating stripes, dots, and graphic textures to intensify this optical experience. The patterns echo Op-Art sensibilities while maintaining the clarity and wit of conceptual photography.
Printed as a serigraph, the image achieves crisp edges and velvety black fields impossible to achieve with photographic reproduction alone. The high contrast of black against white paper emphasizes the rhythmic patterns within the garments and the balance of negative space surrounding the figure. The composition feels simultaneously humorous, elegant, and formally disciplined.
The work reflects Seeley’s background in photography and perceptual studies. Like many conceptual artists of the 1970s, he explored how the camera—and by extension the printed image—could manipulate perception and meaning. The garments, when read individually, are mundane domestic objects; when arranged together, they become a narrative moment of motion.
Published by Art Spectrum and printed on Rives rag paper, the work was issued in an edition of 125 impressions plus artist’s proofs. This example, numbered 38/125 and signed in pencil by the artist, represents a strong impression with generous margins and excellent contrast.
Within the broader context of late-1970s conceptual imagery, Walking the Wash stands as an elegant example of how photographic thinking could migrate into graphic printmaking, transforming simple objects into visual metaphor.
Artist Biography
J. Seeley (b. 1946) is an American photographer, educator, and graphic artist whose work explores perception, visual structure, and conceptual relationships between objects and the photographic image.
Seeley received a B.S. from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1969 before pursuing graduate studies at the Rhode Island School of Design, where he earned his M.F.A. in 1971. At RISD he studied with the influential photographer Harry Callahan, one of the most important figures in American modernist photography. Callahan’s emphasis on formal experimentation, abstraction, and the expressive possibilities of everyday subject matter profoundly shaped Seeley’s artistic approach.
Shortly after completing his graduate studies, Seeley began teaching at Wesleyan University, where he served as Assistant Professor of Art beginning in 1972. His dual career as educator and artist positioned him within the emerging academic photography movement of the 1970s, a period when photography departments were rapidly expanding across American universities.
Throughout the 1970s Seeley exhibited widely in both the United States and internationally. His solo and two-person exhibitions included presentations at the University of Dundee in Scotland (1980), Southern Illinois University (1980), Wesleyan University’s Center for the Arts (1980), the Creative Photography Gallery at the University of Dayton (1980), Prairie State College in Illinois (1980), and the Kresge Art Center at Michigan State University (1980). Earlier exhibitions included Shepard Gallery in Newport, Rhode Island (1979), Neikrug Gallery in New York (1979), Colorado State University (1979), Colorado Mountain College (1979), Paul de Pja Gallery in Antwerp, Belgium (1979), Galerie Panselinos in Thessaloniki, Greece (1978), Light Impressions in Rochester, New York (1978), the Hartford Jewish Community Center (1978), and Concordia University in Montreal (1977).
His work also appeared in numerous group exhibitions, including Diverse Directions II at the Center for Contemporary Art in Beverly Hills (1980), Off the Wall: National Exhibition of Off-Beat and Humorous Photography at the Catskill Center for Photography in Woodstock, New York (1979), exhibitions at the New England School of Photography in Boston, the Rhode Island School of Design Alumni Show, the National Print Biennale in Krakow, Poland, and the Andromeda National Exhibition of Photography.
Seeley’s photographs and graphic works entered a number of significant public collections. Institutions holding his work include the University of New Hampshire, Bowdoin College Museum of Art in Maine, Merrimack College’s McQuade Library, the Rhode Island School of Design, the Jacksonville Children’s Museum, the University of Utah, Ball State University, the University of Iowa Museum of Art, Wesleyan University’s Davison Art Center, Time/Life Incorporated, Mohawk Paper Company, the University of California Riverside, the University of Colorado Boulder, and the Cincinnati Museum of Art.
His imagery was widely reproduced in international photography publications. Magazines and portfolios featuring his work include Graphis (Switzerland), Portfolio (USA), Zoom (France), Foto (Sweden and Germany), Fotografia (Italy), Fotographia (Greece), Nueva Lente Fotografia (Spain), Camera Arts (Japan), and Photo-Graphic Magazine (USA). His photographs and commentary also appeared in major American publications such as The New York Times, National Observer, and Atlantic Monthly. In addition, he authored the chapter “High Contrast Photography” for the technical volume Darkroom Dynamics.
Recognition of his work included First Prize in the National Nikon Competition (College Teachers Division) in 1977. His professional practice also extended to commissions, including a booklet cover for Polaroid Corporation in 1980 and a large mural installation in Providence, Rhode Island.
Within the history of American photography, Seeley belongs to a generation that bridged traditional photographic practice and conceptual image-making. His work often explores the visual logic of perception—how patterns, objects, and spatial relationships combine to produce meaning. By the late 1970s he began translating these ideas into graphic formats such as serigraphs, where the precision of printmaking allowed him to emphasize pattern, rhythm, and optical illusion.
Today, Seeley’s works from this period are appreciated for their intellectual playfulness and formal clarity. They reflect a moment when photography, graphic design, and conceptual art intersected, producing images that are simultaneously witty, analytical, and visually striking.
J. Seeley (b. 1946)
Walking the Wash
Limited edition serigraph on Rives paper
34 × 30 inches
Hand-signed lower right
Edition 38/125
Art Spectrum publication, c.1980.
Certificate of Authentication
This certificate confirms the authenticity of the artwork titled Walking the Wash by J. Seeley.
Artist: J. Seeley
Title: Walking the Wash
Medium: Serigraph on Rives 100% rag paper
Dimensions: 34 × 30 inches
Edition: 38/125
Signature: Hand-signed in pencil, lower right
This work was produced as part of a limited edition published by Art Spectrum and represents an authentic impression from the original printing.
Condition
Very good vintage condition.
Paper remains bright with strong contrast in the ink. Minor handling crease visible along the upper margin and light age toning consistent with storage. No restoration observed.
Provenance
Art Spectrum / original publisher
Mitch Morse Gallery, New York
Acquired by Mitch Morse Gallery through sources in New York, United States and Europe
Artfind Gallery, Washington DC (current owner)
Provenance Note: Mitch Morse Gallery Collection
This artwork originates from the inventory of Mitch Morse Gallery, a respected New York–based gallery and publisher active during the mid-to-late 20th century. Mitch Morse was an established figure in the American art market, serving as an artist’s agent, publisher of original graphics, art dealer, distributor, and fine art restorer. He was also a Design Affiliate of A.S.I.D., listed in Who’s Who in the East, and a guest lecturer in graphics at New York University, with appearances on radio and television discussing art and design.
Through his gallery and associated publishing operations, Morse acquired paintings, prints, and original works from artists and studios across New York, Europe, and international art markets, assembling a broad inventory representing a wide range of artistic traditions and mediums. Works from this collection circulated through galleries and collectors throughout the United States.
The present painting was acquired through this network and is now held in the collection of Artfind Gallery, Washington DC, continuing the documented chain of gallery provenance from Mitch Morse’s original acquisitions.
Walking the Wash, J. Seeley (b. 1946), c.1980, serigraph on Rives paper, 34 × 30 in., hand-signed lower right, edition 38/125.
A striking conceptual black-and-white serigraph by J. Seeley depicting an implied walking figure formed from patterned garments suspended on a clothesline. Published by Art Spectrum and printed on Rives 100% rag paper in an edition of 125, the work blends photographic thinking with graphic abstraction and optical pattern.
Artwork Description
Walking the Wash is a visually inventive limited-edition serigraph by American photographer and conceptual image-maker J. Seeley. Executed in stark black ink on bright white Rives 100% rag paper, the composition transforms everyday laundry into a playful yet intellectually precise illusion of motion.
Across the lower portion of the image stretches a clothesline hung with garments—socks, undergarments, a shirt, stockings, a dress, and a brassiere. Above this line floats the fragmented outline of a human figure composed entirely of patterned clothing forms. Striped stockings suggest legs stepping forward; a curving garment becomes the torso; sleeves and gloves imply outstretched arms; and a wide-brimmed hat completes the silhouette.
The brilliance of the composition lies in its perceptual trick. No single object actually forms a body; rather, the viewer’s eye assembles a walking figure from the spatial relationship of individual garments. Seeley uses alternating stripes, dots, and graphic textures to intensify this optical experience. The patterns echo Op-Art sensibilities while maintaining the clarity and wit of conceptual photography.
Printed as a serigraph, the image achieves crisp edges and velvety black fields impossible to achieve with photographic reproduction alone. The high contrast of black against white paper emphasizes the rhythmic patterns within the garments and the balance of negative space surrounding the figure. The composition feels simultaneously humorous, elegant, and formally disciplined.
The work reflects Seeley’s background in photography and perceptual studies. Like many conceptual artists of the 1970s, he explored how the camera—and by extension the printed image—could manipulate perception and meaning. The garments, when read individually, are mundane domestic objects; when arranged together, they become a narrative moment of motion.
Published by Art Spectrum and printed on Rives rag paper, the work was issued in an edition of 125 impressions plus artist’s proofs. This example, numbered 38/125 and signed in pencil by the artist, represents a strong impression with generous margins and excellent contrast.
Within the broader context of late-1970s conceptual imagery, Walking the Wash stands as an elegant example of how photographic thinking could migrate into graphic printmaking, transforming simple objects into visual metaphor.
Artist Biography
J. Seeley (b. 1946) is an American photographer, educator, and graphic artist whose work explores perception, visual structure, and conceptual relationships between objects and the photographic image.
Seeley received a B.S. from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1969 before pursuing graduate studies at the Rhode Island School of Design, where he earned his M.F.A. in 1971. At RISD he studied with the influential photographer Harry Callahan, one of the most important figures in American modernist photography. Callahan’s emphasis on formal experimentation, abstraction, and the expressive possibilities of everyday subject matter profoundly shaped Seeley’s artistic approach.
Shortly after completing his graduate studies, Seeley began teaching at Wesleyan University, where he served as Assistant Professor of Art beginning in 1972. His dual career as educator and artist positioned him within the emerging academic photography movement of the 1970s, a period when photography departments were rapidly expanding across American universities.
Throughout the 1970s Seeley exhibited widely in both the United States and internationally. His solo and two-person exhibitions included presentations at the University of Dundee in Scotland (1980), Southern Illinois University (1980), Wesleyan University’s Center for the Arts (1980), the Creative Photography Gallery at the University of Dayton (1980), Prairie State College in Illinois (1980), and the Kresge Art Center at Michigan State University (1980). Earlier exhibitions included Shepard Gallery in Newport, Rhode Island (1979), Neikrug Gallery in New York (1979), Colorado State University (1979), Colorado Mountain College (1979), Paul de Pja Gallery in Antwerp, Belgium (1979), Galerie Panselinos in Thessaloniki, Greece (1978), Light Impressions in Rochester, New York (1978), the Hartford Jewish Community Center (1978), and Concordia University in Montreal (1977).
His work also appeared in numerous group exhibitions, including Diverse Directions II at the Center for Contemporary Art in Beverly Hills (1980), Off the Wall: National Exhibition of Off-Beat and Humorous Photography at the Catskill Center for Photography in Woodstock, New York (1979), exhibitions at the New England School of Photography in Boston, the Rhode Island School of Design Alumni Show, the National Print Biennale in Krakow, Poland, and the Andromeda National Exhibition of Photography.
Seeley’s photographs and graphic works entered a number of significant public collections. Institutions holding his work include the University of New Hampshire, Bowdoin College Museum of Art in Maine, Merrimack College’s McQuade Library, the Rhode Island School of Design, the Jacksonville Children’s Museum, the University of Utah, Ball State University, the University of Iowa Museum of Art, Wesleyan University’s Davison Art Center, Time/Life Incorporated, Mohawk Paper Company, the University of California Riverside, the University of Colorado Boulder, and the Cincinnati Museum of Art.
His imagery was widely reproduced in international photography publications. Magazines and portfolios featuring his work include Graphis (Switzerland), Portfolio (USA), Zoom (France), Foto (Sweden and Germany), Fotografia (Italy), Fotographia (Greece), Nueva Lente Fotografia (Spain), Camera Arts (Japan), and Photo-Graphic Magazine (USA). His photographs and commentary also appeared in major American publications such as The New York Times, National Observer, and Atlantic Monthly. In addition, he authored the chapter “High Contrast Photography” for the technical volume Darkroom Dynamics.
Recognition of his work included First Prize in the National Nikon Competition (College Teachers Division) in 1977. His professional practice also extended to commissions, including a booklet cover for Polaroid Corporation in 1980 and a large mural installation in Providence, Rhode Island.
Within the history of American photography, Seeley belongs to a generation that bridged traditional photographic practice and conceptual image-making. His work often explores the visual logic of perception—how patterns, objects, and spatial relationships combine to produce meaning. By the late 1970s he began translating these ideas into graphic formats such as serigraphs, where the precision of printmaking allowed him to emphasize pattern, rhythm, and optical illusion.
Today, Seeley’s works from this period are appreciated for their intellectual playfulness and formal clarity. They reflect a moment when photography, graphic design, and conceptual art intersected, producing images that are simultaneously witty, analytical, and visually striking.
J. Seeley (b. 1946)
Walking the Wash
Limited edition serigraph on Rives paper
34 × 30 inches
Hand-signed lower right
Edition 38/125
Art Spectrum publication, c.1980.
Certificate of Authentication
This certificate confirms the authenticity of the artwork titled Walking the Wash by J. Seeley.
Artist: J. Seeley
Title: Walking the Wash
Medium: Serigraph on Rives 100% rag paper
Dimensions: 34 × 30 inches
Edition: 38/125
Signature: Hand-signed in pencil, lower right
This work was produced as part of a limited edition published by Art Spectrum and represents an authentic impression from the original printing.
Condition
Very good vintage condition.
Paper remains bright with strong contrast in the ink. Minor handling crease visible along the upper margin and light age toning consistent with storage. No restoration observed.
Provenance
Art Spectrum / original publisher
Mitch Morse Gallery, New York
Acquired by Mitch Morse Gallery through sources in New York, United States and Europe
Artfind Gallery, Washington DC (current owner)
Provenance Note: Mitch Morse Gallery Collection
This artwork originates from the inventory of Mitch Morse Gallery, a respected New York–based gallery and publisher active during the mid-to-late 20th century. Mitch Morse was an established figure in the American art market, serving as an artist’s agent, publisher of original graphics, art dealer, distributor, and fine art restorer. He was also a Design Affiliate of A.S.I.D., listed in Who’s Who in the East, and a guest lecturer in graphics at New York University, with appearances on radio and television discussing art and design.
Through his gallery and associated publishing operations, Morse acquired paintings, prints, and original works from artists and studios across New York, Europe, and international art markets, assembling a broad inventory representing a wide range of artistic traditions and mediums. Works from this collection circulated through galleries and collectors throughout the United States.
The present painting was acquired through this network and is now held in the collection of Artfind Gallery, Washington DC, continuing the documented chain of gallery provenance from Mitch Morse’s original acquisitions.
