Tony Fitzpatrick | The Years: 3 Decades of Etching

Chicago Printmakers Collaborative is thrilled to present a retrospective of etchings by prolific Chicago artist Tony Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick's work is inspired by Chicago street culture, cities he has traveled to, children's books, tattoo designs, and folk art. This exhibition includes 30 years of etchings, some of which were printed in collaboration with Fitzpatrick at the Collaborative.

It is an odd juncture to survey 30 years of doing anything. I've actually been making etchings for 5 or 6 years longer than that! I remember how much I loved the reveal with that first one I made, when you finally pull the paper off the plate.

Etching rewarded the way I drew. I was formed by comics, cartoons, Mad Magazine, and early Marvel. Nobody ever told me they were 'Art'. The etchings, very early on, were my auto-biographical device; veiled in the imagery I'd carried with me since childhood.

Art writers ask me if I've ever done a self-portrait– these are all self-portraits. They are where I go to hide in my own story. Enjoy.

-Tony Fitzpatrick

Image: The Atomic Child, multi plate color etching