Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago

Born in 1938 in Massachusetts, Nutt studied in St. Louis before relocating to attend the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). He experienced considerable success as he emerged on the art scene in the mid-1960s, first in Chicago through a series of legendary exhibitions at the Hyde Park Art Center (HPAC), and then on the national stage. Nutt’s “Hairy Who” years—the moniker used by the six SAIC students featured in the three Hairy Who exhibitions at HPAC—were roughly 1966 through 1969 and are typified by works painted in high-keyed colors on the reverse of Plexiglas.

The imagery depicted in this early work ranges from high-spirited to disturbing, with a focus on distorted bodies and various bodily functions. These paintings are festooned with visual gags, off-color puns, and other word play as well as punning titles; the subject matter and style of rendering show considerable influence from popular cultural sources that affected Nutt while growing up, including comic books, advertising, and films, particularly black-and-white movies of the 1940s and ’50s. But Nutt was also influenced by artists whose works he encountered in museums in St. Louis and at the Art Institute, especially the northern European painters of the 14–16th centuries, the surrealists, and modernist masters like Joan Miró (Spanish, 1893–1983) and Henri Matisse (French, 1869–1954), as well as many others. As his career has progressed, the art historical influences become more apparent.