What is chicago imagists?

The Chicago Imagists were a group of artists who emerged in Chicago in the late 1960s and early 1970s. They were influenced by Surrealism, Pop Art, and folk art, and their work often featured vibrant colors, bold shapes, and exaggerated figures.

Some key figures associated with the Chicago Imagist movement include Jim Nutt, Karl Wirsum, Ed Paschke, Roger Brown, and Barbara Rossi. These artists often depicted strange and fantastical scenes, drawing inspiration from sources such as comic books, outsider art, and popular culture.

The Chicago Imagists were known for their rejection of mainstream art trends and their focus on creating personal, idiosyncratic work. They were also closely associated with the Hairy Who, a subgroup of artists within the larger Chicago Imagist movement who gained international recognition for their exhibitions in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

The Chicago Imagists had a significant impact on the development of contemporary art in the United States, influencing a new generation of artists with their distinctive style and approach to image-making. Their work continues to be celebrated and studied by art historians and critics.