Jim Roche

Born: 1943

Biography:

Jim Roche is an American contemporary artist, known for his 'outsider art' chronicling Southern culture in sculptures, graphics, and performance art since the 1960s. His work, which often adopts the folk motifs of contemporary Southern culture, has occasioned descriptions as both 'standing for the far right' and 'confront[ing] hypocrisy and social injustice ... aligned [] with the downtrodden, disenfranchised and working class populations.' He was born in 1943 and received a BA from Florida State University (1961) and an MA and MFA from University of Dallas (1968 and 1970). He was Professor of Art at Florida State University from 1973 until his retirement. Roche's honors include The National Endowment for the Arts in 1975 and 1982 and the Florida Arts Council Fellowship in 1980. He has exhibited internationally, including the Venice Biennial in 1976, and Paris Biennale in 1977.