was an american artist born in chicago in 1939. he died in may 2021 at the age of 81. karl wirsum was a member of the chicago artistic group the hairy who, and helped set the foundation for chicago's art scene in the 1970s. he was primarily a painter, but also worked with prints, sculpture, and even digital art. early life and education karl wirsum studied at the school of the art institute of chicago (saic) and was the first of the hairy who artists to graduate. he was a professor of painting and drawing at saic until his death. karl wirsum was known for his avid, sometimes robotic figures i…