Leon D'Usseau (1918 - 1991)

America (Untitled), mid-century, oil on panel, signed lower right, 18 x 24 inches, presented in an older frame

SOLD

D'Usseau was a California painter, sculptor, illustrator, and cartoonist. His paintings are often characterized by an idiosyncratic form of California modernism. Many of his works like America (Untitled) are filled with whimsy and coded references and symbols. In the case of the present work, D'Usseau appears to depict the United States as a wingless, flag-waving cherub riding on the back of a sperm whale floating above a Hokusai inspired series of waves set against geometrically abstracted sky. Although the artist's intention is unclear, D'Usseau may have been considering the historic role the whaling industry had in the early development of the United States. Whether representing prosperity, economic ambition, or as in the case of Moby Dick, the limits of human understanding when confronted with the power of nature, the whale has been an enduring symbol within US literature and culture more broadly. That the young, inexperienced, and perhaps naive, country rides on the back of the whale leads one to question whether D'Usseau saw the nation as mastering the power of nature or whether it is simply along for the ride. D'Usseau's background as a cartoonist and illustrator is evident in the narrative quality and drawing of the figures. In fact, he employed similar cherubs in cartoons as early as 1939.

D’Usseau was born in Los Angeles. His father was an art director and casting agent in the movie industry, exposing the young artist to professional design and visual storytelling from childhood. At just 15 years old, he received a scholarship to the Chouinard Art Institute, where he studied under noted sculptor Alexander Archipenko and designer Merrill Gage. "D'Usseau's first newspaper mentions are from 1937 when the Los Angeles Evening Citizen News praised an exhibition of his fashion sketches and designs at the Los Angeles County Public Library Art Gallery. Through the late 1930s and early 1940s, D'Usseau did illustrations and cartoons for Mark Hellinger's widely syndicated column Goin' to Town. By 1941, his works had been exhibited at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Additional representation in group exhibitions followed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), Dallas Museum of Art, Los Angeles Art Association, California Watercolor Association, and Palmer House (Chicago) In addition to his fine art practice, D’Usseau spent approximately eight years as a makeup artist at MGM Studios. He later explained that he left this secure profession because he sought “deeper personal expression” through painting and sculpture. He is listed in Who Was Who in American Art and other standard references.