A new exhibit at the the Elmhurst Art Museum that runs through May 7, features works during the height of Chicago Art that were inspired by the popularity of the pinball machine. The exhibit pays tribute to the era in Chicago when, “at the height of the game’s popularity, Chicago’s pinball scene helped inspire a new kind of art,” the Smithsonian reported.

The exhibit is called  Kings and Queens: Pinball, Imagists and Chicago. It lets you play classic pinball games while enjoying the artworks of an artist movement called “Imagists.” The thesis of the exhibit surrounds around how the popularity of the game influenced the art of Imagists.

The Imagists flourished in the late 1960s from the Art Institute of Chicago. While not a formal group, their art is distinctive in many ways as it features graphic styles that has fantastic quality ands sets them apart from other styles.

The report said that their art style was heavily influenced by the pinball machine: “As a pop culture phenomenon, the bright colors and flat imagery of pinball machines began to influence the Imagists.”

Visitors at the exhibit can expect the Gottlieb classic, Kings and Queens pinball machine available for play. For a sneak peek, you can check out a website dedicated to the Imagists here.

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