Tom Palazzolo Signed Photo "R. G. Lydy Sign (Clark Street)" 1963 Chicago

14 x 11 inches, overall. Signed, dated, titled in pen with studio stamp en verso.

Renowned experimental filmmaker and artist Tom Palazzolo (1938, St. Louis) landed in Chicago in 1960 to attend the School of the Art Institute and quickly became known for his vernacular documents including photography, films, and paintings. He was an important part of the underground film scene in Chicago during the 1960s-70s that set itself apart from Hollywood and New York’s experimental genres.                            .
His photographs and films document and interpret universal values and lost, urban landscapes often inhabited by eccentric but true characters. In an age where media is dominated by pseudo-reality, Tom’s work glows with pure authenticity.

Palazzolo studied most notably, with Kenneth Josephson. He received a bachelor’s degree and Master of Fine Arts in Photography from the School of the Art Institute in 1966. Although his work is set apart, he often exhibited alongside the Chicago groups known as Hairy Who and the Imagists. In the mid-1960s, Palazzolo and a group of friends formed the Floating Cinematheque, a secret film society that met in apartments around Chicago. Many of their films faced the chagrin of a Chicago Police Censor Board. In 1968, after gaining attention for his films, Palazzolo was invited by the United States Information Agency to tour the Middle East, Ceylon, India, and Turkey to inspire and promote independent filmmaking. In addition, during this period he exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum, among others.

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