Maxwell Edward 'Max’ Sell was born in 1929 in Wallendbeen, 22 km north of Cootamundra, NSW, the son of Edward Joseph Sell (1901-1966) and Ethel Sell, née Hines. He married Muriel Hope Sell, née Thomson, in 1953. They have two sons and two daughters.
Sell trained at East Sydney Technical College, Sydney, NSW, taking a four-year Teachers’ Art Course, 1948-1951. He then became a NSW secondary-school art teacher. His appointments included teacher of art at Broken Hill High School, NSW, 1953-1955. Other schools included Camden Central, Hornsby Girls’ High and Narrabeen Girls’ High. He was Inspector of Schools (Art) in NSW from 1970 to 1987. Sell was involved in founding the ARTEXPRESS exhibition (ARTEXPRESS is an annual exhibition of artworks created by students from government and non-government schools for the Higher School Certificate Examination in Visual Arts in NSW). He also helped to develop and co-ordinate the Visual Arts Curriculum K-12. Sell retired from art education in 1987, but remained an active painter. The Sells moved to Queensland about 1991 and now live in Coolum Beach, Qld 4573.
Sell paints in acrylics and oils in semi-realistic, cubist, and abstract styles. His subject matter includes landscape abstractions, and people. He was influenced by Antoni Tàpies (born 1923), a Spanish texture painter, and Elwyn Lynn (1917-1997), Australian painter. His usual signature is: M. SELL.
- Writers:
- Fred Rost
- Date written:
- 2009
- Last updated:
- 2011
