Pat Rocha, born 1959 in Topeka, KS, is a painter based in Kansas City, MO. Rocha's influences lie in the realms of nostalgia, the supernatural and the surreal. Self taught he started drawing and painting as a child. Growing up in a household with ten siblings, most of whom share the practice of art, drove his imagination further. Pat, along with the rest of his siblings, all confess that their house was haunted. Rocha believes that those aspects of those memories were beneficial for his ideas in painting. That house was later exorcised by a priest then, weeks later, leveled by a tornado, trapping Pat and his family in their basement for a day. Rocha’s work conveys the essence of a "golden era" in which he relates to his past, but not directly. Child-like images, adult emotions, the jet-set, the ill and unfortunate and the ghosts they leave behind are the things that have inspired Rochas recent series of work. A collection of ideas that the viewer, upon viewing, could recall a memory, happy or sad.

Artist Statement

Since childhood, drawing and painting have always been an integral part of my life. It’s a constant reflection of my past experiences. My interest in human nature and the drama of living compels me what to paint. If the mood or moment is strong enough then people can draw their own conclusions. Sometimes real, sometimes imaginary. Sometimes when I'm looking at an old photograph I'll stare at the person in the photo and imagine myself in the same room. It's impossible for me to paint a portrait without having a story to tell behind it. I simply couldn't pass the time away drawing people or places without meaning. When the story hits me after the initial drawing, I'll look for additional pictures to accommodate the central theme. Then it begins to take on a life of its own.

There is a reason for everything in my paintings. Gradually I understand why I spend so much time alone with one painting. I never stop thinking as long as I keep painting, it's simply survival of the mind.