Artist Statement 

For me, drawing is a way of thinking and a daily practice. I draw to make sense of the world around me. Drawing changes the way I see. Drawing is my daily revolt against my own rigidity and lack of vision. I spend much of my time taking in various ideas; sometimes it makes sense to create objects that, abstractly, contain all of the influences around me. My drawings are where I play and experiment with patterns and forms. I attempt to infuse multiple values into one object.

This body of work responds to the way of technology and world events are changing our relationships to one another and to culture. Our reality feels more and more like a game engine, and we are coming to resemble avatars as our field of choices in crafting personal identities expands. The figures in these drawings are mutated, evolving, and in control of themselves and their environments, but lonely, in a world of their own. The backdrops are flat, patterned, multidimensional, and psychedelic.

The speed of information creation and dissemination constantly inspires me, so I feel the need to respond with the quickness of drawing. I draw to confront, to expose, to elucidate. I hope to create a beautiful moment of unease.

—Dan Rocca

Biography

Dan Rocca (b. Newmarket, ON) is a Toronto artist who has been drawing and exploring various other media since his youth. He studied at OCAD and participated in its Florence Off-Campus Studies Program. From 2009 to 2013, Rocca co-ran a giant art and music venue in Toronto, which allowed him to work with many interesting artists and musicians. When not drawing, painting, animating, or playing music, Rocca spends his time working, interviewing people, studying, and gaming. 

www.danrocca.com