A Note From Mark Gagnon
As an artist I am inspired by history and classicism. I am fascinated by what lead us to where we are and our ongoing conversation with the past. My goal is to make competent, colorful, complete works of art often using a historical device to talk about the contemporary. I also am deeply attached to the experience of making art with my own hands. I enjoy art that retains that passion and that struggle. For this reason I can be moved by a thrift store painting in the same way as David Hockey's new landscapes. I find personal reward in resolving traditional artists issues like color, shape, texture and composition. My hope is to meld these things together in my work with new work while using my curiosity with history, sense of humor and the pleasure in making art.
When I create I also like the challenge of making a resolved piece of work by using a naive touch. I find this to be the hardest challenge. I want to retain a certain awkwardness while using a skilled hand. I also want my work to have a sense of humor and yet be sophisticated. This brings me to the medium of paper mache and my fascination with traditional urns. It's the perfect medium for me to explore these ideas. I use utilitarian materials such as flat house paint, bubble wrap and masking tape for my faux vessels. I like the idea of making a delightful object out of stuff I find readily available. They are absurdist objects meant to have a sense of humor. I start with a hand cut rib vaulting to build the shape and then add bubble wrap masking tape and newspaper combined with clay paste. I feel that my most successful pieces have a high low balance yet are seemingly neither.
When I create I also like the challenge of making a resolved piece of work by using a naive touch. I find this to be the hardest challenge. I want to retain a certain awkwardness while using a skilled hand. I also want my work to have a sense of humor and yet be sophisticated. This brings me to the medium of paper mache and my fascination with traditional urns. It's the perfect medium for me to explore these ideas. I use utilitarian materials such as flat house paint, bubble wrap and masking tape for my faux vessels. I like the idea of making a delightful object out of stuff I find readily available. They are absurdist objects meant to have a sense of humor. I start with a hand cut rib vaulting to build the shape and then add bubble wrap masking tape and newspaper combined with clay paste. I feel that my most successful pieces have a high low balance yet are seemingly neither.