Jason Seley
(American, b. 1919 Newark, NJ; d. 1983 Ithaca, NY)
Hector Hyppolite Death Mask, 1948
Metal, 7 3/4 x 4 7.8 x 4 inches

RARE. Only a handful of masks are known. Not signed.

Lot Essay: A sculptor working with traditional and found metals, Seley was also an educator (sculpture professor at NYU and Hofstra), and notably Dean of the College of Architecture, Art and Planning at Cornell University. Seley was directly involved with the Centre dêArt, Port-au-Prince as well as in plans for creating a Haitian museum of modern art. Seley spent much time in Haiti engaging with artists and working on many of the administrative needs of the Centre. When Hector Hyppolite suddenly died in 1948, Seley was in Haiti and cast Hyppoliteês death mask. Seleyês work is part of the permanent collection of many museums including MoMA and The Whitney Museum of American Art.