When artist Joseph “J.J.” Roach was 12, he began to feel the pull of the swirl.
It’s hard for him to describe now, at 21, but at what he calls the beginning of his artistic journey, he spent much of his days, whether at home or at school, drawing intricate swirls on paper.
“I was obsessed,” Roach said. “I would draw them on all my paperwork and homework, sometimes even on my desk.”
Roach, who was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and autism spectrum disorder at a young age, has spent the last several years channeling his obsessions into intricate pieces of art that have been recognized at the state level. Roach will bring his art to the Lancaster Art Vault, 100 N. Queen St., for the exhibition “Color & Place,” which opens April 4 and runs until May 31.
The occasion will also be marked by the self-publication of “Finding Joseph’s Many Colors,” a book written by Roach about his struggles discovering his artistic inclinations. Roach, along with his parents, Carol and Jack Roach, are hoping that the book will be out in time for an April 17 artist discussion at Lancaster Art Vault.
“His name came from Joseph in the Bible, and we’d like to see him have a breakout moment like Joseph,” Carol Roach said. “He’s gone through the darkness, through the black and white, and now it’s time to come through and let his colors shine.”
Creating an art career
While Roach’s artistic journey began while he was a student at Manheim Central School District, he said that the environment there wasn’t particularly well-suited for the artistically inclined, with the exception of his art teacher, Julie Hibshman. With her and his parents’ encouragement, Roach’s small doodles began to transform into complex illustrations, often inspired by historic symbols such as the yin-yang symbol associated with Chinese philosophy, or the mathematical pattern the Fibonacci sequence, which has long assisted artists in creating pieces with perfect balance and proportion.
What began as a way for Roach to calm and center himself has now become a budding art career, as Roach has been honored in multiple Art of the State art competitions, a statewide, juried art show that has been held for almost 60 years. In 2022, Roach won first place for works on paper and followed that up in 2023 with a William D. Davis Memorial Award for Drawing. At the same time, some of Roach’s pen work and paintings were on display in the east wing rotunda of U.S. Capital complex in Harrisburg.
At the beginning of 2024, Roach, a big fan of the Philadelphia Eagles, was selected to contribute a piece to a fundraiser auction for the Eagles Autism Foundation. The piece, “Eye of the Eagle,” is typical of Roach’s creation process — bold colors and jagged lines, with months of work to fill in the tiny spaces throughout. Roach said that his works typically take six months to finish, and that he has anywhere from one to eight in production at any one time. That Art Vault show will feature eight of Roach’s pieces, many of which start out as ornate pen drawings.
“I think there’s something about the pen, he can completely control what is in front of him,” Carol Roach said.
Roach’s mom acts as a promoter and manager for him usually discovering galleries and opportunities and making initial contact. She also occasionally acts as art critic, which has led to disagreements with her son.
“I remember working on (breakthrough piece) ‘Celestial Dreams,’ and it used to be just black and white,” Joseph Roach explained. “I thought, ‘maybe this should be blue?’ My mom didn’t want me to do that.”
Carol Roach laughed from across the table.
“Yeah, I was so wrong on that one,” she said with a smile.
A gift from within
The book detailing Joseph Roach’s artist journey was inspired by what his mom calls a “notebook of (Joseph’s) adventures,” a sort of diary keeping track of his art and gallery showings. They presented it to Dan Armstrong, a friend and Lancaster County author who has written books such as “The Adventures of a Real-Life Cable Guy.”
“He was paging through this thing and said, ‘You know, this is a book.’ ” Carol Roach said.
Although it includes recounting of the artist’s struggles to fit in and a period where he experienced online bullying, the Roaches said that “Finding Joseph’s Many Colors” is ultimately intended to be a story of the transformative power of creativity.
“You don’t want to make yourself sound like too much of a victim,” Joseph Roach said. “Because then people are asking, ‘why is he such a victim?’ ”
Not stopping with book writing, the young artist is also now branching out into other forms, with a particular affinity for audio. Roach has a fondness for writing lyrics, and despite not being able to play any instruments, he has created hundreds of songs on the artificial intelligence music app Suno that allows users to input musical feelings, genres and original lyrics to create full songs from scratch. Roach said that he is hoping to use the songs as background music for a future exhibition, or potentially even the basis of a podcast where he would interview other people on the spectrum.
“I think we’re just barely scratching the surface of his gift,” Carol Roach said.
IF YOU GO
What: “Color and Place,” a gallery featuring the works of artists Laura Watt, Mimi Shapiro, Karen Schory, Ellen Silberlicht, Jennifer Domal and Joseph Roach.
Where: Lancaster Art Vault, 100 N. Queen St., Lancaster city
When: April 4 to May 31. Gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays (closes at 8:30 p.m. on First Fridays).
Cost: Free
More info: lancasterartvault.com.
Written by Kevin Stairiker