What can you say about artists who take their inspiration from comic books, strip shows, shop windows, and the seemier side of urban life in Chicago? Sounds hip, current, relevant. But in the 60’s, an era dominated by Pop Art, Chicago’s Imagist artists, among them the Hairy Who, challenged the status quo by showing the gritty side of life through their art — full of color and humor and imagination.
The 2014 film Hairy Who and the Chicago Imagists is a visually brilliant look at what the Imagists were trying to do and how their work continues to inspire artists today. Catch it at the Art Theatre Co-op at 7:30 p.m. this Monday, February 23rd, which is an event co-sponsored by Krannert Art Museum. Tickets are $10 at the Art Theatre box office.
The film will be introduced by local artist Glen Davies (read his take on the Imagists) and will include a TalkBack discussion after the film with Imagist artist Karl Wirsum and the film’s writer John Corbett.
Images: (1) Page by Karl Wirsum from “The Portable Hairy Who”, 1966. (2) Gladys Nillson, 1966. Photo by William Arsenault. (3) Art Green with “Disclosing Enclosure, 1969. Photo: Chicago Daily News. All images Courtesy of Pentimenti Productions