Chicago Imagism
From their first exhibition in 1966 at the Hyde Park Art
Center in Chicago, the Hairy Who – originally Jim Nutt,
Gladys Nilsson, Art Green, Karl Wirsum, James Falconer and
Suellen Rocca – refueled the spirit of the Chicago
art scene. Between 1966 and 1969 they staged innovative and
outrageous exhibitions, collaborating on comic-book exhibition
catalogs and decorating the gallery walls with bright, flowered
linoleum tiles to showcase their often sexually charged and
wittily ironic images. Collectors, dealers, and most importantly
the New York art world, which at the time was enamored with
Abstract Expressionism and Pop art, began to take notice.
Artists from the Hairy Who joined other local artists, Ed
Paschke and Roger Brown among them, to form new combos, including
the Non-Plussed Sum, False Image, and Surplus Slop from the
Windy City. These artists, now collectively known as Chicago
Imagists, continue to influence the Chicago art world.
United more by their enthusiasm and humor than by commonalities
in style, the Chicago Imagists do share certain interests,
such as an attraction to comic books, and a highly graphic
treatment to their works. Kitsch decoration, popular advertisements,
and storybook content are additional sources for their outlandish
images. The influence of Folk and Outsider art provided the
Imagists with the confidence to chart their own anti-establishment
course. This is apparent in style and subject matter – politics,
sex, and violence are among the most prevalent depictions.
Surrealism and Dada also play a large part in the fantasy
and fetish content, which is often elaborated with puns and
word play and imbued with ironic and sinister overtones.
Their impact is heightened by precise, disciplined drawing
and sharp, punchy colors.
The works in this exhibition are drawn from the Museum’s
permanent collection. This sampling demonstrates the continuities
as well as the individuality among members of the group.
Some works, such as the one by Jim Nutt, are contemporary
to the Hairy Who period, while others exhibit recent directions
in aesthetics and style.
Elizabeth DeRose
KAM Intern
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