Roger Brown was an important member of the Chicago Imagists. Among numerous sources, popular culture, advertising, and folk art inspired his work. Brown's use of cartoon-like imagery and flat planes of color influenced a generation of artists.

Source: NEWS January Febrruary 2000

Roger Borwn was born in 1941 and raised in north-central Alabama. He moved to Chicago in the early1960s to study at the School of the Art Institute. There he evolved a highly personal style as part of a close-knit community of teachers and students. By the early 1970s, Brown along with his colleagues had been identified as Chicago Imagists.

Source: News, April May June 1988.

Just east of Chicago is the beachside community of New Buffalo, Michigan, where Brown’s partner, George Veronda, designed a home and studio retreat for the couple. Here, Brown depicts a New Buffalo pub in his distinct, cartoon-like style. He’s rendered the customers as silhouettes—a common tactic employed by Brown that can discreetly indicate anonymity or queerness.

October, 2020