Jim Richard (b. 1943) is a long-standing fixture of the New Orleans creative community and a Professor Emeritus at the University of New Orleans. For decades, Richard has explored the intersections of Modernism, interior design, and the American suburban landscape. His work is characterized by a "clockwork style" and "linear precision," creating surfaces that are as meticulous as they are playful.
Whether he is inventing "dustless" contemporary interiors or recasting nondescript yards in a paint-by-numbers aesthetic, Richard’s work captures the "decadence of pastiche" that defines the New Orleans spirit—a world where high-culture monuments and everyday kitsch coexist in a sophisticated, vibrant harmony.
Artistic Style & Focus
Art historian Robert Rosenblum described Richard’s work as creating "fanciful reconstructions of our contemporary interiors" that balance "wild imagination and rigorous law and order." His paintings often portray synthetic, post-modern indoor spaces populated by eclectic furnishings, decorative patterns, and invented works of art—rendered with precise line work and vivid or monochrome palettes.
Permanent Collections
His work is included in public collections across the United States, including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (New York), the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the New Orleans Museum of Art.