Advertising
Stout Sign Company, 7-Up advertisement. One of the first items Roger Brown acquired in his collection of signage.
From the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Photograph by Joshua Arends
Art Green's studio wall with source imagery, 1968.
Courtesy of Art Green
Art Green, Magnetic Reaction, 1968, oil on canvas, 55.25" x 43.5"
Courtesy of the artist and Corbett vs. Dempsey
A.A. Link real estate sign
From the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Photograph by Joshua Arends
Blue Lagoon, 1969, color serigraph, Edition of 10, 22" x 17"
Courtesy of the estate of the artist and Corbett vs. Dempsey
Suellen Rocca, Game Page with Bowling Trophy, c. 1968, ink on glossy paper, 12.5" x 9"
Courtesy of the artist. Collection of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.
Felix locksmith shop sign
From the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Photograph by Joshua Arends
Roger Brown, Government Smokescreen, 1990, oil on canvas, 72" x 48"
Courtesy of the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Image from Christina Ramberg's slide collection
Photograph by Christina Ramberg courtesy of the Estate of the Artist and Corbett vs. Dempsey
Christina Ramberg, Waiting Lady, 1972, acrylic on masonite, 22" x 32"
Courtesy of the Estate of the Artist and Corbett vs. Dempsey
Designer unknown, Ruper Beer-Ale bar tray
From the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Photograph by Joshua Arends
Non-Western Art
Artist unknown, African carving with figure and symbols
From the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Photograph by Joshua Arends
Karl Wirsum masks, c. 1980s
Photograph by Christina Ramberg courtesy of the Estate of the Artist and Corbett vs. Dempsey
West African (Mande tribe) hunter's fetish shirt
From the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Photograph by Joshua Arends
Barbara Rossi, K. & R. D. & D., 1988-89, acrylic on linen, 32" x 43.25"
Courtesy of the artist
Artist unknown, hat (African)
From the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Photograph by Joshua Arends
Artist unknown, Hopi Katsina
From the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Photograph by Joshua Arends
Ray Yoshida, Untitled, c. 1962, 46" x 46"
Courtesy of The Raymond K. Yoshida Living Trust
Ray Yoshida with some of his collection of Non-Western and Imagist art
Photographs of Chicago Imagist Artists from 1977 by Sandra Jorgensen, Elmhurst College Art Collection, Elmhurst College, Elmhurst, IL
Native American Pillow
Photograph by Joshua Arends
Personal History and Spirituality
Roger Brown, Kissin' Cousins, 1990, oil on canvas, 72" x 72"
Courtesy of the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Roger Brown family photograph
Courtesy of the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Roger Brown, Mother and Child, 1986, oil on canvas, 24" x 16"
Courtesy of the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Sarah Canright, Illusion, 1969, oil on canvas with painted frame, 33.5" x 27.5"
Courtesy of the artist and Corbett vs. Dempsey
Barbara Rossi, Crucifixions by a Thread, 1983, acrylic on masonite with wood frame, 51.5" x 25.5"
Courtesy of the artist
Artists unknown, tramp art type frame with portrait photograph
From the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Photograph by Joshua Arends
Self-Taught Art
Guillermo McDonald, Dios Mio, cross with instruments of the crucifixion
From the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Photograph by Joshua Arends
Aldo Piacenza, Cathedral Birdhouse
From the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Photograph by Joshua Arends
Artist unknown, bottle cap "snack man"
From the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Photograph by Joshua Arends
Artist unknown, "Jiggs" silent butler smoke stand
From the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Photograph by Joshua Arends
Artist unknown, Native American pouch
From the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Photograph by Joshua Arends
Jesse "Outlaw" Howard, signmaker, Fulton, Missouri. "WOMAN 104 YEARS OLD…"
From the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Photograph by Joshua Arends
Ortela, Nahual shape shifting creature with tarantula
From the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Photograph by Joshua Arends
Artist unknown, two tattoo flash-art pages
From the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Photograph by Joshua Arends
Artist unknown (Mexican), Leopard Mask
From the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Photograph by Joshua Arends
Christina Ramberg slide labeled L'Art Burt
Photograph by Christina Ramberg courtesy of the Estate of the Artist and Corbett vs. Dempsey
Barbara Rossi, Mumetric, 1987, colored pencil on paper, 29" x 23"
Courtesy of the artist
Manuel Vega, Retablo to St. Nino del Tongo
From the Roger Brown Study Collection. Photograph by Joshua Arends
Humor
Designer unknown, Ronald and Nancy Reagan novelty bedroom slippers
From the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Photograph by Joshua Arends
Roger Brown, The Entry of Christ Into Chicago, 1976, oil on canvas, 72" x 120"
Collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Courtesy of the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Jim Nutt, Summer Salt, 1970, acrylic on vinyl windowshade and enamel on wood frame, 66.25" x 36."
Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, Gift of Dennis Adrian in honor of Claire B. Zeisler
Karl Wirsum exhibition poster, Dell Gallery, 1967
Courtesy of Art Green
Chicago Tribune, 1972. In the aftermath of the MCA's "Chicago Imagist Art" exhibition, Jane Allen and Derek Guthrie criticize Chicago Imagism, with a focus on its campy humor.
Cocktail napkin from Hyde Park Art Center Hairy Who exhibition opening
Courtesy of Jim Nutt and Gladys Nilsson
Bernie Sahlins
Co-founder, The Second CityOn Chicago Humor
Music
Artist unknown, Elvis Presley bust
From the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Photograph by Joshua Arends
Fada electric radio
From the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Photograph by Joshua Arends
Karl Wirsum, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, 1968, acrylic on canvas, 48" x 36"
Collection of The Art Institute of Chicago, Mr. and Mrs. Frank G. Logan Purchase Prize Fund, 1969.248.
Karl Wirsum, Jazz Man, 1965, ink and crayon on paper, 13" x 11"
Courtesy of the artist and Corbett vs. Dempsey, Chicago
Collecting and Toys
Pee Wee Herman ventriloquist doll
Photograph by Joshua Arends
Karl Wirsum puppet
Photograph by Christina Ramberg courtesy of the Estate of the Artist and Corbett vs. Dempsey
Karl Wirsum at home with his toy collection.
Photographs of Chicago Imagist Artists from 1977 by Sandra Jorgensen, Elmhurst College Art Collection, Elmhurst College, Elmhurst, IL
Christina Ramberg, Philip Hanson, and Alex Hanson at home with doll collection.
Photographs of Chicago Imagist Artists from 1977 by Sandra Jorgensen, Elmhurst College Art Collection, Elmhurst College, Elmhurst, IL
Designer unknown, Shasta trailer
From the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Photograph by Joshua Arends
Roger Brown, Red Diner and Blue Diner, 1974, painted metal
Courtesy of the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Bijouterie Kunstgewerse Lisa, Gruß aus Wien snow globe, Prater ferris wheel
From the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Photograph by Joshua Arends
View-Master™ viewer and 3-d image reel
From the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Photograph by Joshua Arends
Ed Flood, The Flaming Comet Zulu Dart Board, 1968, acrylic, Plexiglas and wood, 13.5" x 13.5" x 2.5"
Courtesy of the estate of the artist and Corbett vs. Dempsey
Pinball machine from Whitney Halstead's slide collection
John M. Flaxman Library & Special Collections, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Toys exhibition at the Hyde Park Art Center, 1966
Photograph in Whitney Halstead's slide collection, John M. Flaxman Library & Special Collections, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Toys exhibition at the Hyde Park Art Center, 1966
Photograph in Whitney Halstead's slide collection, John M. Flaxman Library & Special Collections, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Toys exhibition at the Hyde Park Art Center, 1966
Photograph in Whitney Halstead's slide collection, John M. Flaxman Library & Special Collections, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Toys exhibition at the Hyde Park Art Center, 1966
Photograph in Whitney Halstead's slide collection, John M. Flaxman Library & Special Collections, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Toys exhibition at the Hyde Park Art Center, 1966
Photograph in Whitney Halstead's slide collection, John M. Flaxman Library & Special Collections, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Toys exhibition at the Hyde Park Art Center, 1966
Photograph in Whitney Halstead's slide collection, John M. Flaxman Library & Special Collections, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Roger Brown
On the importance of collectingInterviewed for the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, 1981
Maxwell Street
Maxwell Street, mid-1960s
Photography by William Arsenault
Maxwell Street, mid-1960s
Photography by William Arsenault
Maxwell Street, mid-1960s
Photography by William Arsenault
Maxwell Street, mid-1960s
Photography by William Arsenault
Roger Brown, painted iron, 1974
Courtesy of the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Jimmy Wright, Chicken Man, 1966, etching.
The "Chicken Man" was a well-known figure around Chicago's South Side from around the 1930s until the 1970s. He performed tricks with his trained chicken and played music on a small squeezebox on streetcorners. Jimmy Wright, a friend and fellow SAIC student with many of the Imagists, became familiar with his performances on trips to Maxwell Street in the 1960s. From the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Photograph by Joshua Arends
The Body and Sexuality
Designer unknown, Venus de Milo salt and pepper shakers
From the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Photograph by Joshua Arends
Philip Hanson, Sea Creature, 1978, acrylic on board with painted frame, 10" x 16"
Courtesy of the artist and Corbett vs. Dempsey
Summer Salt, 1970, vinyl paint over plastic and enamel on wood and Masonite, 61.25 in. x 35.5 in.
Courtesy of the artist. Collection Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, gift of Dennis Adrian in honor of Claire B. Zeisler, 1980.30.1. Photo © MCA Chicago
Christina Ramberg, Black Widow, 1971, acrylic on masonite, 31" x 18.5"
Courtesy of the Estate of the Artist and Corbett vs. Dempsey
Page from Christina Ramberg's scrapbook.
Photograph by Christina Ramberg courtesy of the Estate of the Artist and Corbett vs. Dempsey
Karl Wirsum, Great Skates #1, 1976, acrylic on board, 41.5" x 31.5"
Courtesy of the artist and Corbett vs. Dempsey
Travel
Samsonite suitcase with decals from False Image show at the Hyde Park Art Center, and souvenir sticker
From the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Photograph by Joshua Arends
Designer unknown, Hawaiian shirt
From the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Photograph by Joshua Arends
Designer unknown, See Rock City souvenir fan
From the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Photograph by Joshua Arends
Illustrated postcard from Ed Flood and Sarah Canright while traveling in Europe
Courtesy of Art Green
Philip Hanson at Picassiete, Chartres, France
Photograph by Christina Ramberg courtesy of the Estate of the Artist and Corbett vs. Dempsey
Versailles, France
Photograph by Christina Ramberg courtesy of the Estate of the Artist and Corbett vs. Dempsey
Street advertisement in Europe
Photograph by Christina Ramberg courtesy of the Estate of the Artist and Corbett vs. Dempsey
Roger Brown travel slide
Courtesy of the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Roger Brown travel slide
Courtesy of the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Roger Brown travel slide of Christina Ramberg and Philip Hanson
Courtesy of the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Cartoons
Sidney Smith, The Gumps book cover and books
From the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Photograph by Joshua Arends
Gund Mfg. Co., Minnie Mouse doll, Walt Disney Productions
From the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Photograph by Joshua Arends
Page from Christina Ramberg's scrapbook
Photograph by Christina Ramberg courtesy of the Estate of the Artist and Corbett vs. Dempsey
Christina Ramberg, promotional decal for False Image exhibition at the Hyde Park Art Center, 1968
Courtesy of the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Page from Christina Ramberg's scrapbook
Photograph by Christina Ramberg courtesy of the Estate of the Artist and Corbett vs. Dempsey
Philip Hanson, Shadow Series: Emerging Lady, 1968, oil on canvas, 12.5" x 12.5."
Courtesy of the artist and Corbett vs. Dempsey
Gladys Nilsson, Semisighmetricall, 1970, acrylic on canvas with painted frame, 20.25" x 28"
Ray Yoshida, Untitled, 1969, comic collage on paper, 11" x 9"
Courtesy of The Raymond K. Yoshida Living Trust
Karl Wirsum, Broken Balloon, offset printed page from The Portable Hairy Who catalog produced for the Hairy Who exhibition at the Hyde Park Art Center, 1966
Grotesquerie
Medical imagery in Christina Ramberg's scrapbook
Photograph by Christina Ramberg courtesy of the Estate of the Artist and Corbett vs. Dempsey
Christina Ramberg, Untitled, 1968, acrylic on masonite, 6" x 6"
Courtesy of the Estate of the Artist and Corbett vs. Dempsey
Medical imagery in Christina Ramberg's scrapbook
Photograph by Christina Ramberg courtesy of the Estate of the Artist and Corbett vs. Dempsey
Ed Paschke, Hophead, 1970, oil on canvas, 45" x 60"
Snap Wyatt "Rubber Man" freak show banner from Whitney Halstead's slide collection.
John M. Flaxman Library & Special Collections, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Jim Nutt, Pitui, 1967-68, etching, Edition of 10, 3" x 5"
Courtesy of the artist and Corbett vs. Dempsey
Theater
Roger Brown, Untitled (theatre interior), 1967, oil on canvas, 12" x 12"
From the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Photograph by Joshua Arends
Roger Brown, Untitled (theatre interior, rain/cloud/nudes scene), 1967, oil on canvas, 12" x 12"
From the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Photograph by Joshua Arends
Roger Brown's set design for the Chicago Opera Theater's Cosi Fan Tutte, 1979
Courtesy of the Roger Brown Study Collection, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Philip Hanson, Harem Lady, 1967, mixed media
Courtesy of the artist
Jim Nutt, I'd Rather Stay (on the Other Hand), 1975-76, acrylic on canvas and wood frame, 49" x 43"
Courtesy of the artist
Poster for Turds in Hell, 1972, with sets by Ed Paschke
Courtesy of William Bengtson
Ed Paschke, Turds in Hell, 1972, 23" x 28," painting used in the Godzilla Rainbow Troupe production sets
Courtesy of the estate of the artist
Barbara Rossi with the set she designed for the Kingston Mines Theater's production of Jean Cocteau's The Human Voice
at the MCA Chicago. Photography by Mary Baber.
Richard Christiansen (1:20)
Chicago Tribune theater critic, 1978 - 2002On Imagism & Theater
