Hours:
Tues-Sat 11am-5pm
Thurs 11am-7:30pm
Admission is free
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Current Exhibitions
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Chris Hipkiss: Drawings
April 23– August 30, 2008
Opening Reception Wednesday, April 23, 5-8pm
Chris Hipkiss (b. 1964, Uxbridge, West London, England)
To kick off The Intuit Show of Folk and Outsider Art at ARTropolis, Intuit presents this solo exhibition of Hipkiss’ work curated by Annie Carlano. This show will feature Doddington, the first large scale drawing created by the artist and on display for the first time in the United States.
British-born artist Chris Hipkiss began drawing at an early age. When he was 2 years old, he covered his pillowcase in black spiders drawn with a ballpoint pen and created a hand-made illustrated book at the age of 16. Over the years, he has evolved into a very sophisticated self-taught artist. Focusing on the environmental danger our society has created, his work features incredibly complex, large-scale renderings of a post-apocalyptic future. His images depict a haunting future world of decreased human activity; results from excessive abuse to our surroundings.
Although his skillful art techniques are self-taught, Hipkiss was inspired by his wife Alpha to return to school and was awarded an honors degree in Geography and American Studies at Canterbury Christ Church College in 1999. Hipkiss currently lives in France where he continues to build his oeuvre. The exhibition continues through August 30, 2008.
Click here for related programming. 
Chris Hipkiss, My Sea Induced Crime
Courtesy of John Michael Kohler Art Center, Wisconsin |
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Henry Darger Exhibition
January 18 – June 28, 2008
 
Henry Darger's Apartment
Photo by Michael Boruch |
Intuit's Henry Darger Room Collection Photo by John Faier |
In spring 2000, Intuit took possession of the contents of artist Henry
Darger’s living and working space, which was located at 851 Webster Street in Chicago. Intuit’s Henry Darger Room Collection includes tracings, clippings from newspapers, magazines, comic books, cartoons, children’s books, coloring books, personal documents, and architectural elements, fixtures, and furnishings from Darger’s original room.
Darger lived in a one-room apartment in Chicago’s Lincoln Park until 1973 when he retired to a nursing facility. In his small room—which doubled as his studio and home for close to 40 years—he worked on a large number of painted and collaged drawings that illustrated the story of the Vivian Girls, created volumes of writings, and collected hundreds of objects (shoes, eyeglasses, balls of string, etc.). The contrast between the intimate scale of the room and the staggering volume of drawings, illustrations, writings, and collections, conveys vital information about Darger’s existence and the work he created.
The goal of the exhibit is to create an environment that provides a window onto Darger’s world. The installation will symbolize the stark contrasts that are so vividly portrayed in Darger’s vast and complex oeuvre. Experiencing Darger’s personal environment through the installation will provide an important link to the man who struggled relentlessly throughout his life to give expression to the polarized spectrum of humanity. The archive and material represents a vital resource and the installation will enhance the understanding and appreciation of the art of Henry Darger by providing artists, scholars, and the public access to a unique and innovative archive of study materials.
The Smart Museum will also present an exhibition on Darger during this time. Collaborative programs, such as docent-led tours, gallery discussions, and workshops will take place.
Click here for related programming.
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