I don't even know where this should go. There's no art forum. Ed Paschke, a great Chicago artist, died on Thanksgiving morning of an apparent heart attack. He was only 65. For those of you who saw my Shakespeare avatar, he painted that one. It's hanging in the Chicago Shakepseare Theater at Navy Pier. If you ever get the chance, you should go see one of his art shows. I'm sure they'll be having one at the Art Institute in Chicago in the near future. His work really need to be seen up close. It's pretty amazing stuff... and much bigger than one would think. He's been a big favorite of mine for many, many years. In the meantime, this is his official web site. http://www.edpaschke.com/
That really sucks. I love his paintings, and you're right, Iceblink. They have to be seen up close to be really appreciated. When my best friend started her MFA at Northwestern, he was her advisor. When she told me, I nearly fainted.
I'm glad Lisa bumped this, as I might've missed it. Bummer. A friend of mine worked in a record store with his son. Paschke the younger was, IIRC, an avid student of serial killers (not in a how-to-do-it sort of a way, more as a morbid curiosity with the nature of human evil). So far as we could tell, he was unscathed. I think being around his father's art, which I liked more often than not, might've allowed him to study depravity without being damaged by it. That's one of the many things art of all sorts can do for people. RIP Ed.