Jon Serl

1894 - 1993

Jon Serl was born in Olean, New York into a theatrical vaudevillian family.  This atmosphere most likely contributed to his flamboyant style and his career in acting, dancing, and singing as a female impersonator.  He was also a voice over artist for actors who were not adept in the ushering in of the talkies era of movies.  Serl moved to San Juan Capistrano in the late 1940s.  He made his next home on Lake Elsinore which he called a “dump” but a “nice dump”.  Randall Morris said the 25 room house that Serl built was a “reflection of an artist’s quirky personality”. On the property, Serl raised chickens, Chihuahuas ran through the house, and every surface was adorned with paintings.  Serl’s free from compositions were composed of oil paint on found surfaces and canvasses.  His trademark styles often included large eyes, long elegant arms, and clownish expressions.  His output of 1200 paintings over a 40 year period, from 1945 – 1985, were never shown formally until 20 years into his career. Serl was consumed with painting and rarely slept, working 24/7. Serl was a true Outsider who raised his own foods, had no use for TV or radio, and who once said “It’s a good way to live.  You get tired of living the sissy way, pushing buttons.”  Serl’s work is included in many museums including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum, High Museum of Art and the American Folk Art Museum.  -  Source: Jon Serl – The Mutability of Being by Jo Farb Hernandez, Randall Morris, and Cara Zimmerman (2013)