Jay Meuser
Encyclopedia
Jay Meuser was an American
abstract expressionist
painter
. Meuser's style was versatile and his works prolific, in his lifetime he worked as an illustrator
, portrait painter and cartoonist
for several newspaper editorial pages.
.
"I've led a most full life," he said to his wife just before his death. Besides teaching at the Art School of San Francisco, he had been a baseball pitcher, a vaudeville
performer, a sailor working around the world twice, and "was more than a fair boxer." He had worn 14 different law enforcement badges. At 31, he was the youngest chief of police in Marin County, California. As a member of the Sheet Metal Workers International, he worked at the Terminal Island
Naval Shipyard. There he was awarded the Navy's "Certificate of Award" for a suggestion that was adopted concerning the building of naval ships. He also wrote a column in the union's newspaper.
, Dwight D. Eisenhower
, Harry S. Truman
, Richard M. Nixon and John F. Kennedy
. His portrait of Roosevelt hung in the White House
and he received a personal letter of thanks from the late president. While at the shipyard, he was commissioned to paint the portraits of Rear Admiral
and Mrs. Paul Hendren, USN
and Rear Admiral T. P. Wynkoop USN. He drew two sketches of General
Douglas MacArthur
in 1950; each accompanying editorials in the Long Beach Press Telegram. The latter sketch prompted an oil painting commissioned by a prominent businessman in the San Francisco Bay Area. Shortly after his death, the original sketch of General MacArthur was donated to Fort MacArthur
, San Pedro CA by his wife in 1964. In addition to his oil, water and casein paint
colors, he also did many editorial cartoon sketches for newspapers.
. Previously, his subjects were depicted in realistic terms. He wrote about his painting Mare Nostrum, "It is far better to capture the glorious spirit of the sea than to paint all of its tiny ripples." The vast majority of his artwork was painted between 1949 and 1957. The variety and quality of his work, as well as the quantity, during this period was significant.
As President of the San Pedro Art Association in 1953, he oversaw three galleries and designed, renovated and constructed plans for the group's first permanent gallery. In 1955 he was elected a member of the nationwide California Water Color Society (currently National Watercolor Society), where he was close friends with past presidents Arnold Franz Brasz
and Leonard Edmondson. He participated and won awards in scores of art exhibitions across the country. His award winning painting Occultation went on tour in the traveling section of the California Water Color Society's Annual Exhibition of 1962. His abstract work Northward was requested by the Long Beach Museum of Art
in 1957 and remains in the museum's permanent collection as Abstract Expressionism
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
abstract expressionist
Abstract expressionism
Abstract expressionism was an American post–World War II art movement. It was the first specifically American movement to achieve worldwide influence and put New York City at the center of the western art world, a role formerly filled by Paris...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
. Meuser's style was versatile and his works prolific, in his lifetime he worked as an illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
, portrait painter and cartoonist
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
for several newspaper editorial pages.
Biography
He married Dorothy Ellen Morris in 1938. Their only child, Jacqueline Ellen Meuser, married Suren Saroyan, MD, cousin of the famous American Playwright William SaroyanWilliam Saroyan
William Saroyan was an Armenian American dramatist and author. The setting of many of his stories and plays is the center of Armenian-American life in California in his native Fresno.-Early years:...
.
"I've led a most full life," he said to his wife just before his death. Besides teaching at the Art School of San Francisco, he had been a baseball pitcher, a vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
performer, a sailor working around the world twice, and "was more than a fair boxer." He had worn 14 different law enforcement badges. At 31, he was the youngest chief of police in Marin County, California. As a member of the Sheet Metal Workers International, he worked at the Terminal Island
Terminal Island
Terminal Island is an island located in Los Angeles County, California between Los Angeles Harbor and Long Beach Harbor. Originally a mudflat known to the Spanish as Isla Raza de Buena Gente, and later called Rattlesnake Island, it has officially been Terminal Island since 1918...
Naval Shipyard. There he was awarded the Navy's "Certificate of Award" for a suggestion that was adopted concerning the building of naval ships. He also wrote a column in the union's newspaper.
Career
The artist painted many of the 20th century prominent personalities, including Presidents Franklin D. RooseveltFranklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
, Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
, Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
, Richard M. Nixon and John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
. His portrait of Roosevelt hung in the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
and he received a personal letter of thanks from the late president. While at the shipyard, he was commissioned to paint the portraits of Rear Admiral
Rear admiral (United States)
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. The uniformed services of the United States are unique in having two grades of rear admirals.- Rear admiral :...
and Mrs. Paul Hendren, USN
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
and Rear Admiral T. P. Wynkoop USN. He drew two sketches of General
General (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, general is a four-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. General ranks above lieutenant general and below General of the Army or General of the Air Force; the Marine Corps does not have an...
Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
in 1950; each accompanying editorials in the Long Beach Press Telegram. The latter sketch prompted an oil painting commissioned by a prominent businessman in the San Francisco Bay Area. Shortly after his death, the original sketch of General MacArthur was donated to Fort MacArthur
Fort MacArthur
Fort MacArthur is a former United States Army installation in San Pedro, Los Angeles, California . The fort is named in honor of Lieutenant General Arthur MacArthur...
, San Pedro CA by his wife in 1964. In addition to his oil, water and casein paint
Casein paint
Casein paint, derived from milk casein, is a fast-drying, water-soluble medium used by artists. It generally has a glue-like consistency, but can be thinned with water to the degree that fits a particular artist's style and desired result. It can be used on canvas panels, illustration boards,...
colors, he also did many editorial cartoon sketches for newspapers.
Later work
By 1949, Meuser had devoted his life to painting full time. Around 1950 he became interested in abstractionAbstraction
Abstraction is a process by which higher concepts are derived from the usage and classification of literal concepts, first principles, or other methods....
. Previously, his subjects were depicted in realistic terms. He wrote about his painting Mare Nostrum, "It is far better to capture the glorious spirit of the sea than to paint all of its tiny ripples." The vast majority of his artwork was painted between 1949 and 1957. The variety and quality of his work, as well as the quantity, during this period was significant.
As President of the San Pedro Art Association in 1953, he oversaw three galleries and designed, renovated and constructed plans for the group's first permanent gallery. In 1955 he was elected a member of the nationwide California Water Color Society (currently National Watercolor Society), where he was close friends with past presidents Arnold Franz Brasz
Arnold Franz Brasz
Arnold Franz Brasz was an American painter, sculptor, and printmaker who was born in Polk County, Wisconsin on July 19, 1888. He studied at the Minneapolis School of Fine Arts and also with Robert Henri in New York. By the early 1920s, he was dividing his time between southern California and...
and Leonard Edmondson. He participated and won awards in scores of art exhibitions across the country. His award winning painting Occultation went on tour in the traveling section of the California Water Color Society's Annual Exhibition of 1962. His abstract work Northward was requested by the Long Beach Museum of Art
Long Beach Museum of Art
The Long Beach Museum of Art is a museum located on Ocean Boulevard in the Bluff Park neighborhood of Long Beach, California. The museum occupies the historic 1912 Elizabeth Milbank Anderson house and carriage house and a new two-story pavilion, and includes oceanfront gardens. The museum is open...
in 1957 and remains in the museum's permanent collection as Abstract Expressionism
Abstract expressionism
Abstract expressionism was an American post–World War II art movement. It was the first specifically American movement to achieve worldwide influence and put New York City at the center of the western art world, a role formerly filled by Paris...
.
Honors and Recognition
- California Legislature, State Assembly Certificate of Recognition, July 7, 2011.
- City of Los Angeles Certificate of Tribute, July 7, 2011.
- County of Los Angeles Commendation, July 7, 2011.
- Plaque Dedication by the San Pedro Art Association honoring Jay Meuser, mounted on an historical building in the heart of the San Pedro Art Walk, July 7, 2001.
- Jay Meuser Memorial Award, presented by the National Watercolor Society for Abstract Art.
Purchase Prizes
- San Pedro Art Patrons Purchase Award, 1953.
- Top Recommendation for Purchase by Jury of Awards — Long Beach Museum of Art, 1957.
Exhibitions
- Los Angeles County Museum, Los Angeles, California
- California Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco, California
- Oakland Art Museum, Oakland, California
- Virginia Museum of Fine Art, Richmond, Virginia
- California State Fair, Sacramento, California
- National Orange Show, San Bernardino, California
- Pasadena Museum of Art, Pasadena, California
- Denver Art Museum, Denver, Colorado
- National Institute of Modern Art, Mexico City, Mexico
- The Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, Massachusetts
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
- Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Santa Barbara, California
- DeCordova Museum of Art, Lincoln Massachusetts
- Santa Monica Art Gallery, Santa Monica, California
- Long Beach Museum of Art, Long Beach, California
- Palos Verdes Library/Gallery, Palos Verdes Estates, California
- Richmond Art Center, Richmond, California
- Benjamin Franklin Library, Mexico City, Mexico
- North American Cultural Institute, Mexico City, Mexico
- Newport Harbor Annual, Newport Beach, California
- San Francisco Museum of Art, San Francisco, California
Collections
- Marymount College, Palos Verdes, California
- Long Beach Museum of Art, Long Beach, California
- Richard Dana Junior High School, San Pedro, California
- Fort MacArthur, San Pedro, California
- John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston, Massachusetts
Affiliations
- Past President of the San Pedro Art Association (1953)
- California Water Color Society
- San Francisco Art Institute
- Los Angeles Art Association
- Artists Equity Association