my Story

“I’m no artist. I am a Painter. The images that I create do not come from me, but through Life itself. I’m a nobody. My job is to not get in the way. ” ~ Gagoghs

Early years

From a young age, Patrick was a skateboarder. He played baseball, and motorsports when he wasn’t joking and making his friends and family laugh. He grew up in LA, where he’d pick the fruits off of the orange trees that lined the streets. Food was scarce in his home, and the trees supplied him with sustenance. His Violent childhood home can be seen in his work.

With a Schizophrenic and predatory mother deeply entrenched in the Baptist Church, he struggled. His father, being a painter, himself, was not without his own violent tendencies. The Painter’s childhood prepared him to accurately view the violence in the world; it sent him on a path of deep introspection and seeking. Gagoghs’ experience with his mother inspired his Novel, Jumpers’ Teeth. The novel provides a deeply philosophical perspective that takes the reader through a disjunct and disorienting journey. The reader feels similar to that of a schizophrenic mind in the throws of Psychosis.

Adulthood

While his work is deeply intense and violent to observe, Gagoghs himself held a joyful presence as much as possible. He was always filled with joy and life when he engaged with others. Passionate about the power of comedy and laughter, he’d connect with others through the joy of his bizarre and obscure wit. With a gentle touch, and an insistence of personal accountability, he moved through life as a fully realized being. He’d befriend the homeless, and learn from every living soul he’d encounter as much as possible.

Gagoghs worked in physical labor for much of his life loading trucks for UPS, and in construction. His delicate attention to detail benefitted his work with concrete. Showed here you can see his personal construction work. All of that work supported the creation of his Triangle house in the desert of New Mexico.

Patrick’s first wife, Veronica, entered his life as a child and stayed well into his adulthood. They traveled across the country together enduring the aftermath of the LA earthquake of 1994 in their apartment. Through that time, he’d have several shows of his paintings seeking success. He and some friends committed a reverse Heist of his work at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Shortly thereafter they finally settled together in the Taos County Star Community. There he was the go-to handyman. Gagoghs would build chicken coops, do maintenance on friends properties and even built an addition to his own house. He’d never see the addition as a fully realized studio though. The two parted ways and Patrick found himself having to rebuild yet again, only this time fully solo.

Discovery

Taking the time to be more social, he was living in a friend’s loft. There he’d tattoo friends and created a Mural with his friend’s daughter. Youth always held a precious spot in his soul. The children of Taos Artist, Izumi Yokoyama in particular were important fixtures. The importance of being a positive influence on Earth’s children was a responsibility he took extremely seriously whenever presented with the opportunity.

He explored dating while he landed himself an agreement with some New Mexico Land-owners. He would build a Triangle house in exchange for time to do his work for the remainder of his life. Right as he was launching himself into the highest period of production, he found the Love of his life, Janay`.

Janay` supported Gagoghs through the bulk of his work without any expectations. Their relationship flourished and bloomed into a mutually supportive and healthy dynamic as much as can be had. His mission and dedication to his work certainly have created a challenge. Yet the simplicity of love and kindness between them has made it a lasting relationship of pure mutual exchange.

The Bulk

In the Triangle, Gagoghs worked tirelessly between 8-16 hours a day. Painting the images with very small paint brushes, he had some fun with exploring Podcasting. All the while caretaking the property per his agreement, his schedule was full. In the isolation of the desert he could scream to express the intensity of the work. Holding space for the darkness of man energetically was no joke. The inhospitable setting of the high desert, provided him with the isolation needed to produce his work with minimal interruption.

At the end of his life, Gagoghs painted through a period of decline in health. His sleep was plagued by attacks upon his nervous system and his only solace was when his wife was able to pet him through his sleep. He painted out of compulsion to finish as much as he could. By the time he was done a session, sometimes between 6-12 hours, his legs were so weak it was difficult to descend his ladder from the studio.

On May 1st 2024, at about 8:45 p.m. His wife found his truck at the rest area of the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge after waking up from a nap they’d taken together. His body has yet to be found. He is presumed “missing” until his body is found. If you look closely, you’ll find the smiles expressing his joy for life in all of his paintings.