Eric Rottcher

Artist Statement

My work explores memory, identity, and the experiences that shape who we become. Using painting, collage, décollage, and found materials, I build layered surfaces that reflect the way our lives are formed over time.
I create each painting by adding, covering, scraping, and revealing. Every addition and removal creates a visual history, where metaphor and memory become inseparable. The finished work is a record of its own making, much like our identities are shaped by both what we remember and what we leave behind.
Rather than telling a specific story, I use found imagery and recurring symbols to encourage personal interpretation. What is hidden can be just as meaningful as what is visible. My hope is that viewers see something of themselves in the work and consider how their own experiences continue to shape who they are.