Arthur “Art” Seitz, a productive sports photographer who is best known for tennis for more than 50 years, from the start of the open era to the present, died on August 23 at the age of 82 -just shy for a coming birthday on October 7. The cause of his death was heart and kidney failure and he had fought against various health ailments in recent years.
A persistent documentary of what can best be described as “The Family of Tennis” art has trained his lens on the sportswear who often gets away from the field, and often before they become known names. Chris Evert, Bjorn Borg, Arthur Ashe, Jimmy Connors, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Venus and Serena Williams. Vitas Gerulaitis, Fred Stolle, Martina Hingis, Gardner Mulloy, whose 100th birthday party he photographed and helped organize, Billie Jean King, John Mcenroe, John Newcombe. Ilie Nastase, Guillermo Vilas are just a few of the notables in tennis who have passed his lens, often in spontaneous, unwritten and unguided moments, who gained his images an intimacy and fame in the world of professional sports. Moreover, he has recorded the many supporting personalities in sport, whether they are journalists and publishers, fellow photographers, designers, agents or managers. Art had a relationship with all and a love for the tennis community that is reflected in his images.
He treated 50 Wimbledons, 50 United States opens and more than 50 French open, 20th Lipton/Sony Miami Championships and countless other events around the world. He is the only photographer who is invited as a guest for the 40th WTA anniversary Wimbledon -celebration, and commemorative books often wore more photos of him than most of his contemporaries. During the US Open from 2018, he was recognized by the USTA as the only photographer who deals with all 50 US Opens since the first “Open” Championship in 1968. His work is routinely included in dozens of players’ books, including the autobiographies of Jimmy Connors, Arthur Ashe, Chris Evert and Billie Jean King. They adorned the screens of HBO, ESPN, tennis canal and thousands of magazines and many covers, including Time, Newsweek Vogue, Vanity Fair, Hola, Hello, Sports Illustrated, Life and Paris Match. His work has also been published in people, Ebony, all publications of Zuid -Florida, Top US Spanish magazine Selective and Elk Groot British Daily and Sunday Magazine. His work was routinely distributed all over the world into a maximum of 40 countries at the same time via the famous Gamma Press Images Photo Agency in Paris, where art was a productive contract photographer for more than 20 years.
One of his most remarkable qualities was his ability to transcend standard sports photography standards and make contact with players in their own environment, outside the courts and changing rooms. He documented Chris Evert and her family from her shy and whimsical young teenage years to dominate women tennis to her current role as mother of three boys, competent Evert Pro Celebity and Charity Organizer and the famous TV broadcaster. He was even present to conquer her the damage in Homestead, Florida after Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Art photographed more than 30 players at their house and weddings of many, including Chris Evert, Stan Smith, Harold Solomon, Mary Joe Fernandez, Iliie Nastase and more. Other intimate and well known images include Arthur Ashe displaying his scar after heart surgery, Bjorn Borg and first wife Mariana Simonescu strolling, holding hands and embracing in the streets of Paris, or carrying a block of ice given his nickname at the time of “iceman”, Vitas Gerulaits with a glass of champagne while in his hot tub, with his Rolls Royce, and with John McEnroe at a Santana concert, Andre Agassi föhnde zijn haar, Steffi Graf en Andre Agassi kort nadat het nieuws over hun romantiek openbaar werd, en jaren, later kloppende zoon Jaden op het hoofd terwijl hij op een bank speelde in de US Open, Pete Sampras die vierde voor het Rocky -standbeeld In Philadelphia. And the sisters of the Williams as teenagers dressed as firefighters in Los Angeles.
Hey chronicled the big moments on the court, including the joyful embrace of yannick noah by his father after noah won the 1983 french open, Andre agassi dropping to his knees after winning his first grand slam and only Wimbledon Titleenon Titleenon Titleenon, the Batteenon Batteenon Batteenon, the Batteenon Batteenon Batteenon, the Batteenon Batteenon Batteenon, the Batteenon Batteenon, and only Wimbledon Jing. Bobby Riggs at the Houston Astrodome in 1973, Bjorn Borg’s Wimbledon Dominance Form 1976 to 1980, Chris Evert throws her Racquet Skyward after winning her first Wimbledon title, Guillermo Vilas was worn on the shoulders of Supporters from 1977.
He was the first photographer in Virginia Slims, the first Staff photographer for Gladys Heldman’s then Young World Tennis Magazine, photographed for the tennis week of Gene Scott for 30 years and was the first official photographer of World Team Tennis and the tennis industry buying show. The interest of art in Tennis started early in life, he played at the Florida Junior Tennis Circuit, at the University of Florida, while in the Air Force of the United States, he was a captain and served for four years at Ramstein’s air base in Germany and Deuz-Louvilliers Air Base. Island. He also played at home next to the famous Holiday Park Tennis Center, where the legendary Jimmy Evert and daughter Chris Evert and her brothers and sisters from that public park taught. Others who have tightened their skills there were Floridian -striking Eddie Dibbs, Harold Solomon, Brian Gottfried and more, in the earliest days of Pro tennis.
His unique experience and place in tennis allowed Art to give back and his work with some of the leading charities and foundations in tennis is also well known, covering charity events to promote vital causes, including nearly all Chris Evert Pro-Celebrities, the Vitas Gerulaitis Foundation, Arthur Ashe Day and the Arthur Ashe Foundation, Mardy Fish Foundation, Andy Roddick Charity Weekends, The Little Star Foundation, Rosie Casals’ Charity, Tim and Tom Gullikson Foundation for 15 years, Michael Milk’s Cancer Research Foundation, Donald J. Trump, Harold Solomon’s family Foundation, Barry Gibb and Greater Miami Charity Events and Hurricane Relief.
Jeanne Ashe, widow of the late Arthur Ashe, and himself a photographer said about art: “In my almost 50 -year -old relationship with the tennis community and family I remember that Art Seitz was as a photographer. As a photographer his sharp instincts for the ‘shot’ was always on the move. His subject his History has been of importance and for the time to tell the Image; And everyone who knew him in the tennis community “
Peachy Kellmeyer, who helped to change the face of the tennis of women and was a long time friend, said about art: “A very brilliant man with a gift to use the camera to reflect his creative talent to get the perfect image! A legend for more than many decades of the tennis family always becomes a complex family. On the many historical moments that are broken so many worldwide occasions. “
In his last years, although often driven bed, and in poor health, while living in Florida, Kunst held a steady stream of images that flowed to his family and friends of his tennis community as a way to maintain the long threads of connection and remember all their shared history.
Besides tennis art also included some of the world’s largest sporting events. He had been on 20 + Super Bowls, countless Kentucky Derbys, the Master’s Golf Championship and the prestigious Henley Regatta in the UK. His assignment work was not limited to sport, after he had photographed former President Jimmy Carter in his house in Georgia, President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan and Marines training on the famous Parris Island in South Carolina.
Currently, an installation of some of his American open photos is on display in Forest Hills in the West Side Tennis Club.
Art is survived by his sister. Pauline “Polly” and brother Russell.
#official #death #advertisement #Art #Seitz #famous #tennis #photographer #World #Tennis #Magazine