The U.S. Postal Service turned to Kessler of Bethesda-based Kessler Design Group to produce its soon-to-be-released “Abstract Expressionists” stamp sheet. The stamps re-creating 10 works in the movement go on sale Thursday.
Why were abstract expressionists chosen as a stamp pane?
Over the years there’s been a lot of different kinds of American art on stamps. There has been “Four Centuries of American Art,” we’ve acknowledged individual artists like Louise Nevelson and Georgia O’Keeffe on their own stamp sheet. It’s certainly a subject are that we regularly acknowledge. And I think this was something that was challenging to be a stamp because the work is so unique.
How did you get into the business of designing stamps?
There are only four of us in the country that have this kind of contract, and we all have a really wide breadth of experience working in many areas. … In this case the layout of the stamps was done here in my office. … I had to try to really understand the kind of work that abstract expressionist work is, and how at stamp size do you interpret that to be honorable to the subject area.
Did the challenge of reducing a large piece of art to stamp size make this one of your tougher assignments?
They’ve given me some doozies. Let’s just say that each subject comes with its challenges. There is no question that the size of these paintings — and the fact that they’re not literal — you can’t just take a detail out of the [Robert] Motherwell painting and still call it the same painting. It’s different, you have to show the whole thing.
Do you consider yourself a philatelist?
No, but there’s only ever been about a dozen people who have art-directed stamps in the 50 years that the Postal Service has really had art directors. I’m not doing it from a collector’s point of view.
–William C. Flook
