With the loss of Gregory Warmack (aka Mr. Imagination), Chicago and the world has lost a visionary artist who found unexpected treasures and transformed castoffs into brilliant works of folk art.
We first encountered Mr. Imagination’s work at the House of Blues on one of our tours of their extensive folk art collection.
“He saw life in any kind of found object,” said gallery owner Carl Hammer, who was the first to show Mr. Warmack’s work. “Walking down an alley, a piece of scrap metal would literally call out to him.” — quote from the 5/31/12 Chicago Tribune obituary written by Mary Houlihan
The folk art collection at Chicago’s House of Blues has introduced us to so many wonderful artists and unexpected treasures. It is one of our most popular events. Though no date has been scheduled, we are planning another tour of the collection soon. If you are interested, please let us know and we will be happy to try to set up a convenient time.
