Tom Palazzolo

Wikipedia calls Tom Palazzolo an American filmmaker, photographer, and painter, but that barely scratches the surface. Tom was a driving force in Chicago's underground film scene during the 1960s and '70s—a world far away from the glitzy lights of Hollywood and New York City. His films have graced the screens of the Cannes Film Festival and his paintings the walls of the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, and MoMA in New York.

As Tom and I sipped coffee in his studio, he allowed me to take a few photos while he scoffed at the thought of his Wikipedia page…

Tom in his basement art studio

From his book “Clark Street”