- Urban Nation
- January 28, 2015
Rene Gagnon is an American fine artist from Fall River, Massachusetts. Influenced by New York’s rap and graffiti scene as well as the movies ‘Wild Style’ and ‘Beat Street’ he began drawing graffiti in the early 1980’s. Now a highly acclaimed studio artist mainly working on canvas, his work has been exhibited around the world and has also been featured as part of the opening of URBAN NATION Museum 2017. […]
Rene Gagnon is an American fine artist from Fall River, Massachusetts. Influenced by New York’s rap and graffiti scene as well as the movies ‘Wild Style’ and ‘Beat Street’ he began drawing graffiti in the early 1980’s. Now a highly acclaimed studio artist mainly working on canvas, his work has been exhibited around the world and has also been featured as part of the opening of URBAN NATION Museum 2017.
Gagnon’s attempt to bridge the gap of urban graffiti or street art and contemporary abstract expressionism can be seen in almost all of his canvas works. While he uses stencil techniques to create a focal point, often-human figures or man made objects; he uses either spray cans or a paintbrush to create the surrounding. Realizing that an artist’s work should represent their soul, Gagnon started mixing his past graffiti experiences of urban media techniques with street art techniques of today, therefore sending two major art forms into battle on his canvases. After having worked as a freelance designer and illustrator Gagnon, who holds a BFA from the Massachusetts College of Art, went on to work as a teacher at a local college and high school.