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World Tattoo Poster
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The Fitzpatrick Family is issuing a limited-edition poster of Houdini. The edition is limited to 500 prints, each accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. All proceeds will support a number of projects the family is undertaking dedicated to preserving and protecting the legacy of Tony’s life and work.
In 1987, Tony left Chicago to pursue a career as an artist in New York. When he returned to Chicago he was determined to create the same kind of rebellious and vibrant artistic community he had experienced in New
York. In 1989, with the help of several friends, he opened the World TattooGallery in the then-crumbling South Loop.
Among the many heroes Tony celebrated in his work, Houdini was the figure who resonated most deeply with him during this period of his career. Houdini represented escape—a man capable of accomplishing the
seemingly impossible. Tony created this poster to commemorate the inaugural exhibition at the World Tattoo Gallery.
Dimensions - 12.5" x 18"
Year - 2026
About Tony Fitzpatrick
Tony Fitzpatrick (1958–2025) was a Chicago-based artist best known for his multimedia collages, printmaking, paintings, and drawings — work rooted in Chicago street culture, folk art, tattoo design, and the cities he traveled to throughout his life.
Fitzpatrick grew up in the western suburbs of Chicago, and his father worked as a burial-vault salesman on the South Side of Chicago. A product of the Catholic school system, he was repeatedly suspended or transferred for bad behavior — something he eventually did on purpose, just to ride along with his dad on sales calls and hear his stories about Chicago and life. Those rides shaped the way Tony came to see the world. As a child he drew constantly, with birds holding special significance; his grandmother used to say, "For the price of a piece of bread you can hear God sing."
Tony Fitzpatrick was a Chicago legend — self-taught, restlessly creative, and a mentor to many.
The Tony Fitzpatrick Family Foundation
The Tony Fitzpatrick Family Foundation is dedicated to the preservation, exhibition, and study of Tony's art and writing, and to honoring the spirit in which they were created. We are committed to making his work accessible to scholars, collectors, institutions, and the kinds of people Tony most wanted to reach: those who didn't think art was for them.
The foundation will oversee the archive of Tony's work, support loans and exhibitions, manage image licensing and publication rights, and ensure that his poetry and writing remain in print and in circulation. We will also seek ways to support the communities—Chicago's South Side, New Orleans, and the broader world of working artists—that Tony loved and drew inspiration from throughout his life.
— Michele Fitzpatrick, Gabrielle Fitzpatrick, and Max Fitzpatrick