Arts college features unconventional art of Jimmy Joe Roche
SUBMITTED BY: Karen Wachtel, Director of Communications, Rocky Mountain College of Art+Design
LAKEWOOD – A lot of adjectives have been used to describe Jimmy Joe Roche’s art: “hyper,” “spiritual,” “crazy,” “haunting,” “hilarious.” But one word you’ll never see tied to Roche is “mundane.”
Born in Florida and now based in Baltimore, he represents a new generation of talent that is untethered by convention and combines all forms of media to create boundary-pushing installations. His work ranges from monologues loaded with social commentary to pop culture acid freakouts.
Roche’s American Ectoplasm opens in the Philip J. Steele Gallery at Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design June 18. In the exhibition, Jimmy Joe presents a full sensory experience that ranges from contemporary video art to monumental hand-cut and -painted paper sculptures, to interactive computer programs he has developed. With a close tie to the electronic music movement and acidic palette, Jimmy Joe’s work can be polarizing but is always engaging.
Jimmy Joe holds a BFA from the Film Conservatory of SUNY Purchase College and a Multidisciplinary MFA from the Mount Royal School of Art at the Maryland Institute College of Art. He is a longtime collaborator with Baltimore-based musician Dan Deacon and has taken an integral part in shaping a new American aesthetic as evidenced by the popularity of his series of psychedelic YouTube videos (www.youtube.com/user/jimmyjoeroche). He has also worked with filmmaker Jonathan Demme on numerous occasions, most recently taking a small acting role in Demme’s film Rachel Getting Married.
The works in American Ectoplasm are brought to RMCAD courtesy of Rare Gallery in New York City, where Roche will have a solo show in the fall.
Jimmy Joe Roche, “American Ectoplasm” June 18 – July 24 Philip J. Steele Gallery Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design
Opening Reception Friday, June 18, 6 – 9 pm Philip J. Steele Gallery
The exhibition and opening reception are open to the public and free of charge. For more information or directions to campus, visit www.rmcad.edu.
Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design is a private, fully-accredited school, founded in 1963, offering BFAs in a variety of art and design disciplines. RMCAD’s galleries feature regular exhibits from students, faculty, alumni, and world-renowned visiting artists.
