The COMP Magazine Tony Fitzpatrick: The Secret Birds @ DePaul Art Museum

Tony Fitzpatrick: The Secret Birds
May 12, 2016 – August 21, 2016
DePaul Art Museum
935 West Fullerton
Chicago, Illinois, 60614

Tony Fitzpatrick was one of the first guys I met in 1993 when I arrived in Chicago. I remember this encounter well for Jesse Bercowetz and I had created an atrociously grotesque 13 foot tall “Demon Hand” for the exhibition “Movie Monsters” at his now infamous art space, The World Tattoo Gallery. We lugged our gargantuan monstrosity up multiple flights of stairs to be greeted by a gregarious man larger than our sculpture. Jesse and I navigated our duct-taped eye-sore through the industrial space as Fitzpatrick looked on with curious smile and a sense of amusement. After install, we realized we had an empty tank of gas in our piss-yellow truck and no cash in our wallets. Nevertheless, we were able to make the trek back to south Humboldt Park due to Tony’s generosity (the man slid us 20 bucks as we departed).

Currently on view at the DePaul Art Museum through August 21, 2016, is a survey of Fitzpatrick’s recent endeavor “The Secret Birds”. Some of the artist’s earliest childhood drawings were of birds and here one will find the cyclic process infrequently observed by thoughtful artists evaluating their long-term production and life. There is a sense of deep reflection in this quality assembled production. When discussing this work, Fitzpatrick notes his grandmother’s influence in prompting admiration for our avian neighbors. One can feel Fitzpatrick’s unfeigned awe and hope when touring the exhibition. Fitzpatrick has obviously spent a great deal of time and sweat when producing and organizing the materials on view.

Tony Fitzpatrick
Small Bird of the Sacred Heart, 2014
Gouache, watercolor, ink and found materials
Collection of Anonymous Lender

There are many enjoyments (and moments of sadness) in viewing “The Secret Birds”. I am most drawn to the complexity and ability for multiple readings when looking at these present works. Fitzpatrick’s aesthetic is meticulously consistent (though the repetitiveness is at times criticized), however these artworks reaffirm the intricacies and depth that make up our contemporary milieu. This can be seen in the pairing of two collages from the “Lunch Drawing” series. Presenting a bird for Israel and another for Palestine complete with Hasidic and Arabic text, Fitzpatrick celebrates these cultures and their diversity. There is not the focus upon conflict, but the noting of the bird’s ability to fly above and beyond an environment engulfed in omnipresent tension and turmoil. These works appear to rest in poetic, political and social spheres simultaneously.

Tony Fitzpatrick: The Secret Birds, Installation view with Lunch Drawing #59 (Bird for Israel)
and Lunch Drawing #58 (Bird for Palestine), 2014, DePaul Art Museum, Chicago, IL, 2016

For those familiar with Fitzpatrick, there is a freshness and child-like curiosity in this explorations. The artistic style remains, yet the dialogue is more contemplative. You will see a progression in these works that requires pause. There is reflective subtly that indicates the place he is in his life. One knows of the Tony Fitzpatrick who is abrasive, brash, confrontational, and unyielding. As an actor, artist, and poet in the spirit of Bukowski, Selby, and Terkel this is expected. Societal commentary is for many artist a foundational lifeline. Fitzpatrick has not ceased to pose his ongoing views, yet here there is a vocabulary that indicates the artist is fully matured and measured. In “The Goshawk and Her Comets”, 2015, Fitzpatrick relies on the short text “She Said: Bleed…” and his consistent formal arrangements to create an iconic image that directs the viewer to identify the distinct species that is flanked by ghostly silhouettes, nostalgic ornamentation, puzzle pieces, and star bursts with a colorful spindle at the heart of the immense fowl.

Tony Fitzpatrick
The Goshawk and Her Comets, 2015
Gouache, watercolor, ink and found materials
Collection of Helen Macdonald

In addition to the impressive number of collages and prints, Fitzpatrick shares an array of materials from year’s gone by. He has been a consummate collector during his research. And, his attention is clearly seen through astute application. These artifacts range from handcrafted 3-D depictions of various species of bird to baseball team caps (The Orioles and White Sox) to snippets from long forgotten magazines. These artifacts on one level have been the impetus for this artist’s production. None the less, Fitzpatrick has molded these most anachronistic and static materials into a voice that is both fluid and insightful. One can spend lengthy time contemplating the past, present, and future in a single static artwork. Fitzpatrick is a storyteller and these works remind of his adeptness in this terrain.

Tony Fitzpatrick: The Secret Birds, Installation view of hand crafted wooden birds, DePaul Art Museum, Chicago, IL, 2016

If you have not visited the DePaul Art Museum, this is certainly the time for an initial tour. In recent time, the DePaul Art Museum has become a defining space for supporting Chicago contemporary art at the highest level. Once again, you will see that Chicago has some damn good artists doing influential and relevant aesthetic investigations. This survey of Tony Fitzpatrick’s “The Secret Birds” is complimented by a well organized exhibition by the Chicago Imagist Barbara Rossi (Eye Owe You!). All of this is on view until mid August. So, make the trip to the city’s near north side to experience a comprehensive exhibition of artworks that will provide a thoughtful and reflective experience worthy of a trek in the Windy.

In addition, Chicago publisher Curbside Splendor recently published an artbook to accompany the exhibition. To purchase a copy of “Tony Fitzpatrick: The Secret Birds”, please visit the link at the end of the review.

Additional images from Tony Fitzpatrick: The Secret Birds, DePaul Art Museum, Chicago, Illinois: