Through my work, I explore the weight of the unspoken, translating personal experience into a tactile language of experimentation, accumulation and erasure. I begin with an idea, then the layering of paint, collage, spray paint, and oil pastels until I achieve a sense of certainty. However, this stability is temporary. I intentionally disrupt these compositions through aggressive subtraction: cutting, scraping, and scouring the image I just created. This cycle is an act of discovery and excavation—a way of pulling meaning out from the void. By prioritizing an unpredictable approach, I allow the work to survive its own destruction. What remains is often the result of my original intentions being lost and rediscovered; figures, faces, or even flowers can emerge from the damage, bearing the visible marks of hesitation, regret, and persistence.

Ultimately, by stripping back these layers to reveal the struggle beneath, I aim to create a shared space of quiet recognition between the canvas and the viewer.

©EricRottcher2026