James William Falconer

James “Jim” Falconer, age 79, of Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood, passed away December 25, 2022. Born in Hinsdale, IL, on August 12, 1943. Jim was raised in the western suburbs of Chicago and graduated from St. Charles High School. One of the instigators of the Hairy Who, an artist-organized exhibition group. Jim didn’t take his first art class until high school. Despite the late start, he was immediately hooked and chose to pursue his college degree at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he was honored with a scholarship. Outside of school, Falconer was powerfully affected by the period of civil unrest and political turmoil that swept through Chicago and the rest of the United States in the late 1960s. In 1969, he cofounded Artists Against the War in Vietnam, an earlier Chicago exhibition group that inspired the Hairy Who. Soon after graduation, Falconer joined forces with five other recent graduates of the School of the Art Institute to form the Hairy Who in 1965. The artist-organized exhibition group included Jim Falconer, Art Green, Gladys Nilsson, Jim Nutt, Suellen Rocca, and Karl Wirsum. From 1966 to 1969, the Hairy Who, mounted six shows of their provocative and experimental work—three in Chicago and one each in San Francisco, New York, and Washington, DC. Their unconventional displays of bright, bold graphic work garnered local and national attention, transforming the artistic landscape of Chicago and influencing subsequent generations of artists around the world. By 1970, Falconer had moved to New York City, where he explored artistic avenues in film and photography. He eventually pursued a career as an acoustical consultant, designing and building recording studios. Falconer resided in New York for 32 years; in the early 2000s, he returned to Chicago. A 2018 exhibition at the Art Institute was the first-ever major survey dedicated solely to the Hairy Who. Beloved partner of 20 years to Jane Teruko Ike and cherished father figure of Chris (Angela) Ike. Loving brother of Robert (Jimmie Kay), Nancy, and Stephen (Marcia Jablonski) Falconer. Fond uncle of Jamie, Ross, Ryan, and Rory. Great uncle of 6. Preceded in death by parents Robert Ross and Eileen Elizabeth (Christiansen) Falconer. Memorial gathering is being planned for spring of 2023. Arrangements entrusted to Inclusive Funeral Care, 773-318-1305 or www.inclusivefuneralcare.com

James William Falconer

August 12, 1943 - December 25, 2022