THIS EVENT IS FREE BUT RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED: keith@rarenestgallery.com or 708-616-8671

Tom Palazzolo is widely known as one of Chicago’s most important experimental filmmakers. In this first-ever comprehensive retrospective, Tom’s film work is secondary to his output as a master printmaker, painter, photographer and maker of assembled sculptures.

Palazzolo landed in Chicago in 1960, transferring from the Ringling School of Art to attend the School of the Art Institute. He 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. 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 the 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.

Join us as we explore Palazzolo’s full career, accompanied by additional lectures and events.