The Phantom of Hackle Park
Maker
Karl Wirsum
(American, 1939 - 2021)
Date1982
MediumPainted wood
DimensionsOverall: 24 1/2 x 16 x 7 in. (62.2 x 40.6 x 17.8 cm)
Credit LinePurchase, Illinois Arts Council Matching Grant and Unrestricted Funds
Object number1984.129
Object TypeSculpture
On View
Not on viewWirsum was born in Chicago and was one of the earliest members of the Hairy Who, a group of Chicago Imagists who exhibited at the Hyde Park Art Center influenced by Surrealism, comic books, and Art Brut, or "raw art." Though he is primarily a painter, Wirsum has also worked with prints, digital art, and sculpture such as this.
How do we know toys from art? May a sculpture invite play, or must it demand dispassionate scrutiny? Wirsum works through pop-cultural forms typically not associated with high art: circuses, carnival games, and in The Phantom of Hackle Park, mass-produced toys.
How do we know toys from art? May a sculpture invite play, or must it demand dispassionate scrutiny? Wirsum works through pop-cultural forms typically not associated with high art: circuses, carnival games, and in The Phantom of Hackle Park, mass-produced toys.
