Private Eye: The Imagist Impulse in Chicago Art

In the late 1960s, a group of young artists in Chicago began exhibiting together at the Hyde Park Art Center under exhibition titles that included "The Hairy Who," "Nonplussed Some," and "The False Image." By the mid 1970s, this group became collectively known as "The Chicago Imagists." Their instantly recognizable, highly expressive style is unique and sets their work apart from contemporary art that was produced on the East or West Coasts. Now, more than 50 years after their first shows, the Chicago Imagists are regarded as among the most important post-war American artists. The Robertson-Slapak collection is one of the most comprehensive private collections of Chicago Imagist art, possessing key pieces from each of the Imagist artists. It has been promised to the IMA with two pieces already donated. It also has holds works of Chicago-based artists from the preceding generation (known as Monster Roster) as well as those who were the contemporaries and closely related colleagues of the Imagists.