Work
Fitzpatrick's early artistic career focused primarily on multi-colored drawings on slate, followed by printmaking, although he has more recently shifted his focus to producing mixed media "drawing/collages." Fitzpatrick's drawing/collages often blend central cartoon-like drawings, found images and ephemera such as baseball cards and matchbooks, and poetic or narrative text. His main subjects have been Chicago and memories of his father, although more recent subjects have included New Orleans, hobo symbology, superheroes, Crazy Horse, and Japan. Fellow Chicago artist Ed Paschke, described his work as "autobiographical," saying that "it's in the true spirit of what art is all about. It is an extension of him."
Fitzpatrick's works are in numerous public collections, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Miami. Among his works are the drawings which make up the brief chapbook "Bum Town", and a continuing series of drawings/collages with poetry, "The Wonder: Tales of the City". He had his own spot on a Chicago radio station for eight years and books of poems with artworks published.
Fitzpatrick has done cover art for numerous albums, such as the Neville Brothers Yellow Moon album (nominated for Diamond Award, Best Album Cover), Lou Reed's "Big Cat", both albums by The Captain Howdy, and all of Steve Earle's solo albums since 1996's I Feel Alright, as well as the cover for Earle's book of short stories, Doghouse Roses.
Fitzpatrick is also notable for his work as an actor and playwright. He won a Joseph Jefferson Award for portraying the murderer James Huberty in the play he also scripted, Mass Murderer. He also had roles in the movies Philadelphia, Primal Fear, Married to the Mob and others. More recently, he wrote and starred in This Train, a play about hobos and homelessness in America.
Read more about this topic: Tony Fitzpatrick
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