September 27, 2024

Seymour Mandell was a Detroit-area attorney, architect, and artist born in 1931; he graduated from University of Michigan with a B.A.A. in 1953 and from Wayne State University with his J.D. in 1959.[1] Throughout his life, he assisted in the planning and construction of more than 1000 buildings in and around Detroit,[2] and he was regarded as an all-around creative intellectual. According to his son, “By the age of 5, he was painting amazing pictures...He's produced hundreds...of paintings, and one of his greatest joys was giving them to people...If you had a Seymour Mandell original hanging in your house, it brought him so much joy.”[3]

                  This work, on display in the Dean’s Office at the Mike Ilitch School of Business, presents an abstracted architectural structure in greens, blues, browns, and whites. The painting is geometric and balanced in its composition, with varied hues implying dimension and depth. A three-story structure seems to materialize through the vertical lines in the center, capped by an irregular blue three-pointed star toward the upper half; the resulting refracted light and fractured lines shoot off toward all corners. Though we are left without a title to speak to the work’s subject or inspiration, Mandell’s architectural background supports a reading of this work in such terms. Perhaps this painting represents a building designed by Mandell, an impression of an existing structure, or his vision for future constructions. To this latter point, the work suggests a certain cool idealism or hope through its color palette and ray-like lines emanating from the center. Several have spoken of Mandell’s idealist and charitable nature, which perhaps extends through his artistry as well.[4]

                  Mandell passed away at age 93 this past July. He left a rich legacy around Southeast Michigan as both a professional and citizen committed to social betterment; one can read more about his life and philosophies in his 2019 book Poetry Shmoetry: A Partial Autobiography. While it appears Mandell never formally exhibited, his artistry continues to impact the local community through compelling works such as Untitled here.

Written by Sarah Teppen

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