Karl Wirsum

Karl Wirsum (b. 1939) has been exhibiting his paintings, sculptures and drawings since the mid-1960s. His work comes out of a fascination with Mezzo-American art, Peruvian pottery, and the schematic, grotesque comic-strip art of George Wunder (Terry and the Pirates) and Chester Gould (Dick Tracy), combined with an engagement with Chicago itself—an urban stew of hand-painted signage, eccentric characters, and gritty music. Karl was a member of the Hairy Who group of artists and remains living and working in Chicago. His most recent show was "Drawings 1967-70" at Derek Eller Gallery in NYC, curated by Mr. Nadel himself.