b. 1941 d. 1997
Site Affiliation: Roger Brown Study Collection
Roger Brown was a painter, sculptor, and printmaker born in Hamilton and raised in Opelika, Alabama. He moved to Chicago in 1962 and received his BFA in 1968 and MFA in 1970 from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. During and after his studies, he worked alongside a group of artists now referred to as the Chicago Imagists, including Ed Flood, Art Green, Phil Hanson, Gladys Nilsson, Jim Nutt, Ed Paschke, Suellen Rocca, Barbara Rossi, Karl Wirsum, Ray Yoshida, and others. Brown was represented by Phyllis Kind Gallery throughout his entire career. He exhibited internationally and his work is in major museum collections around the world. Brown’s partner George Veronda (1941-1984) was a successful architect who impacted Brown’s life and art in major ways. Brown made hundreds of major works of art before his career was cut short in 1997 due to complications related to HIV/AIDS.
Primary Medium: Painter, sculptor, printmaker
Primary Stylistic Term: Chicago Imagist
Fun Fact: Roger Brown’s 1967 Ford Mustang is in the RBSC garage, and the site allows guests to sit inside of it.