Chicago-based artist Steve Seeley hopes you like to watch. TV, movies, sexy time, he hopes you enjoy watching it all. And that’s because his work is a takedown of pop-culture icons through art.
Seeley loves making his viewers see favorite images from childhood in new and disturbing ways. And this is by design.
We’ll take a closer look at Seeley’s art and learn more about this intriguing artist from the midwest.
Let’s check him out!
About Steve Seeley
We know very little about the early life of Steve Seeley. He’s done many interviews, and there’s plenty of ink spilled about his work, just not his life. So let’s try to piece some things together from our internet sleuthing.
Born in 1979, Seeley attended art school at the University of Wisconsin-Marathon County from 1997 to 1999. He found his way to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, earning his Bachelor of Fine Arts in printmaking in 2001. Safe bet he’s from Wisconsin!
Then, without missing a beat, he enrolled in classes at Ohio State University from 2002 to 2004. Steve earned his Masters of Fine Art at OSU in printmaking.
With these newly minted degrees, Seeley traveled to nearby Chicago, IL, to make his way in the art world. And he did just that.
His accessible and more than a little bit naughty art made an impact immediately. With over forty shows in ten years, Seeley stopped updating his website and moved to Instagram.
What is Steve Seeley’s Art Style?
Seeley’s influences are pop culture, comic books, classic horror movies, and art nudes from the 1950s and 1960s. From these diverse influences, he crafts prints that reference familiar icons but put them in new situations.
Using style elements from fine art, comics, graffiti, religious art, erotica, and vintage toys, Seeley’s art destroys genre lines.
Steve Seeley tends to work in massive series. For instance, The Delicate Matter, Seques, and The Creature Project all feature thirty or more paintings.
The Voyeurs, which we’ll discuss below, features over fifty. This allows Seeley to explore a theme and even collaborate with others in some fascinating ways.
What is Steve Seeley’s The Voyeurs?
The Voyeurs, Seeley’s homage to cartoon characters and erotic art, opened in 2022 with over fifty works dedicated to a certain form of voyeurism. His artist statement clearly points out that the series is about watching, as well as puns, sex, innuendo, and wordplay.
But it’s also about taking elements from childhood and twisting them into what some experienced growing up. Ever been turned on by a cartoon? It sure seems Seeley has.
Throughout the series, characters like Homer Simpson, Sebastian the Crab, Spongebob Squarepants, and Disney characters appear. They’re in compromising situations watching adults do adult things.
Like kids who walk in on their babysitter with their boyfriend or girlfriend, these characters represent the loss of innocence. Some exhibit shock while others something else entirely.
As viewers, we, too, experience the lost innocence of childhood. First exhibited in 2022, the works also comment on what it’s like to sit and watch the world go by around you.
Watching the world go through fits and starts as it begins to work again. It’s being seen again and seeing again. All through internet culture, cartoons, and sex. Seeley also worked with several LGBTQ+ artists for this exhibit.
What is Pop!nk Editions?
Pop!nk Editions is Seeley’s collaboration with fellow master printmakers Curtis Readle and Zach Schrey. Beginning in 2014, the three men print original editions of works from contemporary artists.
Working together, they create high-quality prints for galleries and artists alike. Their online shop has works from several contemporary artists, including Seeley himself.
What are Some of Steve Seeley’s Art Pieces?
Seeley’s work represents a wide range of mediums and subjects. From fantastical creatures to comic-book heroes to sexy collages, you’re sure to find something you like. Maybe you just don’t want to admit it.
Groucho
Groucho, part of The Voyeurs collection, imagines Marilyn Monroe in a Groucho Marx getup. In the classic photo, Marilyn leans back on a photography prop, her decolletage in clear view.
And then, what’s usually a lovely photo gets the Seeley treatment. Bushy eyebrows, a cigar, and thick-rimmed glasses transform the image. Instead of a sultry side-eye, Monroe is sneering at the viewer.
Nothing overtly sexual about it, but Ms. Monroe is reading your mind. And she likes what she sees.
Home(r) Isolation #3
Throughout The Voyeurs and cartoon history, male characters in the presence of a sexy woman have one response: “Aaaaoooggggaaa!”
Home(r) Isolation #3 combines four classic reactions into one. Homer Simpson drools, Tom’s jaw falls on the floor, Ren’s head explodes, and Wolf’s eyes pop out of his head.
Precisely what are they looking at? We can only imagine. And this is the artist’s intent. On his Instagram post with the image, he uses the hashtag #wearetheluckyones. Perhaps lucky because they can see what we imagine.
Untitled (Deer with Dead Supermen)
In this piece, two versions of Superman hang from red thread off a mounted deer head. From the title, we know that they’re dead supermen. What happened? We can only guess.
The wall itself is classic wallpaper, the kind of place you’d expect to see a deer head. But the antlers of the deer, like some twisted Charlotte’s Web, spell out the words “something is not okay.” Our heroes are dead. Something is definitely not okay.
Where Can I See Steve Seeley’s Art?
Over the past year, Seeley’s work appeared in several exhibitions, The Voyeurs among them. And while you might have caught the gallery show if you live in Chicago, the truth is most of us don’t. Currently not exhibiting, you can still get your Seeley fix online.
Online
You can find a few excellent websites that show Seeley’s work. His Instagram account has over 700 posts of new work, which he updates frequently.
Additionally, his personal website, The Delicate Matter, offers three collections to view. And All Star Press, Chicago houses The Voyeurs in several versions. They have a virtual gallery tour and a thumbnail gallery you can browse for a closer look.
In addition, we have some of Steve Seeley’s art in our personal collection, which you can see at Outside Folk Art on Instagram.
Celebrating folk and outsider artists, our gallery gives voice to rising black, Native, immigrant, and working mother artisans. We’ll also offer pop-up shows and collaborations with small museums, so be sure to follow us to discover the where and when.
Cartoons With Adult Intentions
We don’t have a great understanding of where Steve Seeley came from. But we get a twisted look at his childhood through his art.
Steeped in comics and superheroes, cartoons, and pop culture, Steve Seeley’s childhood seems exactly like ours. And when your heroes are gone, you must create your own. For Seeley, watching is the fun part. We like it too.
What do you find the most intriguing about this unique artist? Let us know in the comments below!
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