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Jim Nutt is a figurative artist associated with the Chicago Imagists, most specifically with the second generation of artists who called themselves The Hairy Who. The themes and styles of these artists favored fantasy, caricature and political commentary—in visual satires of the foibles of celebrity, mass media, and political ambition. Nutt, like other colleagues in the group—Edward Paschke and Roger Brown—studied at The School of The Art Institute of Chicago. In his expressionist distortion of form and Surrealist improbability, Nutt's art, in keeping with Chicago Imagism, also reflects the Windy City's history of private collecting, which during mid-century and later was marked by an attraction to Surrealism and the expressionist traditions.

Jim Nutt, Toot 'n Toe, 1969, acrylic on Plexiglas, reverse painting, 60 x 39 inches. Collection Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. Gift of Howard and Judith Tullman. 2003.06 © Jim Nutt

Jim Nutt. © Wm H Bengtson.