Chicago-based artist Tony Fitzpatrick has a unique repertoire of influences acquired through various occupations, all of which inform his broad scope of imagery. A self-taught artist, Fitzpatrick is a former prizefighter, poet, radio talk-show host, and movie actor, who later discovered his talent for intricate detail and imagery in both small- and large-scale drawings. In his early artistic career, Fitzpatrick made multi-colored drawings on slate and began to focus on printmaking, followed by a move to mixed-media drawings, paintings, and collages, which mix of found imagery, drawings, text, and daily ephemera. Among many influences, Fitzpatrick is primarily inspired by the street culture in his native Chicago. Other influences include childrenââ¬â¢s books, childhood encounters with Catholicism, superheroes, circus posters, field guides, politics, folk art, and tattoo designs (the latter which often appear in his precise etchings.)
