Wesley Willis Art 1963-2003 Dan Ryan Expressway

Wesley Willis was a Chicago icon who rapidly achieved cult status.

He began his career singing on the streets. My personal favorite, “Rock and Roll McDonalds”. Wesley Willis currently has over 1000 songs in circulation and has recorded at least 50 albums,” according to Rolling Stone magazine. In 1989, Wesley was diagnosed as schizophrenic; he explains that writing, performing, and recording help quiet the voices in his head. Wesley is one of those people whom science calls “savants.” They suffer from severe mental problems but are blessed with an amazing talent. One of Wesley’s other talents is drawing. He can observe a scene, then draw it in amazing detail, down to the correct numbers on a bus, train or truck. Wesley died of Leukemia in 2003.

Signed, titled and dated to front: THE DAN RYAN EXPRESSWAY ‘Drawn By Wesley Willis 1991’. 1991 ballpoint pen and marker on artist’s board Dimension: 28 H × 41 W in (71 × 104 cm) Wesley Willis 1963–2003.