Karl Wirsum Eyeballs the Intuit Collection

Pauline Simon, The Ocean, n.d.

There's still plenty of time to check out Karl Wirsum Eyeballs the Intuit Collection, an exhibition that celebrates artists expanding the imagination. The show closes on September 1.

Wirsum selected his favorite pieces from Intuit's permanent collection--a collection developed in 2002. Work by Pauline Simon and Pierre-Louis Prospère were also included in Wirsum's exhibition.

Wirsum has been an active member in Chicago's art scene since the 1960s, relying on a style that combines graphic imagery and humor. The collection for his ongoing show (which he has curated) mirrors these elements.

INTUIT's permanent collection.

From INTUIT's website: "Curator Karl Wirsum has “eyeballed” Intuit’s Permanent Collection to create an exhibition of his favorites. As a member of the Chicago Imagists group Hairy Who, he was instrumental in setting the tone for Chicago’s art scene in the 1960s."

The "Hairy Who" exhibition of 1964 at the Hyde Park Art Center firmly put Wirsum on the map. The group was a leading force in Chicago's contemporary art scene for decades.

INTUIT is the nation's only nonprofit organization whose sole purpose is to present self-taught and outsider art. Its permanent collection houses more than 1,100 works of art.

Wirsum is an adjunct professor of painting and drawing at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

A Gallery Walk with Wirsum will take place on August 11 at 1pm. Wirsum will explain his selections for his exhibit and discuss his feelings on being an artist on the other side of the canvas. The walk is free and open to the public.