First up we have a 5 minutes banter with Rene Gagnon, not the deceased Iwo Jima marine but the king of Post-Graffiti Abstract Expressionism himself. As a veteran of Spring Street and NuArt he’s also responsible for Bridging the Gap Between Urban Graffiti Art and Contemporary Abstract Expressionism to boot.

 

How do you feel right now?
Extremely hung over.

Why do you paint?
Best therapy around.

What are you currently obsessed with?
The models that posed for my HOOD project. Oh and Bacardi and cokes.

How/does your past career influence your work?
I’m a high school teacher so it’s great to be connected to pop culture and fashion through my students. Oh and they are great guinea pigs when I need resource photos.

How would you say your art has progressed over the years?
I kind of look at the past 7 years or so as pure experimentation. Experimenting is a huge part of my process. I honestly don’t think any one style can be pinned on me, for better or worse. I do feel that my most recent body of work represents what people can expect from me in the future. I think I found a groove I’m happy with, a balance if you will.

Name one street artist you can’t get enough of and explain why.
I hate commenting on other artists for the pure fact that there is so much great stuff out there.

How much thought goes into your work? Is it spontaneous or considered?
None. Every piece comes together through process. Even pieces that end up being a clean stencil on a white canvas which to most would seem pre planned. I don’t know how I’m going to use a stencil after I cut it. I don’t sketch or draw or plan any canvases, I did enough of that as an illustrator. My street art however is well thought out to an extent, sometimes not enough I’m afraid, but I’m a doer, I gotta do shit, I can’t sit and dwell on ideas, there are too many that need to be brought to life.

How would you define “street art?” And how do you view it’s connection with ‘graffiti’
I’ve been asked this a lot. The answer is simple for me “street art” is, yes, art placed on the street through the use of, well, anything at your disposal. The main difference between it and “graffiti” is street art often connects to a broader cross section of society and it’s usually more planned out. When I did graffiti nothing was planned you just skated around town tagging which to 99% percent of the population was simply unreadable squiggly lines, hence no message was conveyed other than some punk just fucked your shit up.

What does it mean to sell-out?
Look I can’t fathom that there is an artist alive that wouldn’t “sell out” if it meant they could fund their creations. And if there is one alive that would not sell out they are probably independently wealthy. People think that all street artists are these rebels saying fuck you to society, but at the end of the day we are advertising our brand just like every other corporate whore. Granted we do it illegally for the most part but we are taking pics and putting them on the net, publishing books, etc.. Why? For recognition and to promote our brand or art. Every true artist wants to spend their life creating by any means necessary it’s so much better when you don’t have to worry about money to fund your art. Starting to earn some money as an artist is great because it really does allow you to grow and experiment. Oh I guess “sell out” means you stop doing your own promoting and let the corporate whores take over. Which I guess could be a bad thing, I don’t know?

What is authenticity? What does it mean to keep it real?
If I made something it’s an authentic Rene Gagnon artwork. If someone copies what I do to the letter then it’s not authentic. Keeping it real? Hmmm… For a lot of people, I guess including me, have a
problem when artists use street art techniques and or graffiti in their work and have never once done anything on the street. That said I think it’s fucked when people do street art and graffiti with the
notion it’s going to shoot them to fame. True street/graffiti artists do it because of the rush and the need to break the law. It’s like a badge you need to earn to use the aesthetic. I share a studio with
another artist, a few years back he pretty much started using every technique I was using including graffiti, in my head I was like “what the fuck, you can’t use graffiti you were never a graffiti artist”
Since then I have kind of grasped the idea that graffiti is another tool in the toolbox for artists but I’ll always have a problem with it.

Describe your process.
Impossible. The tools I use are a constant but the order in which I employ them is never the same.

Is there such a thing as ‘bad’ art? What is it? Name names.
I respect every artist that takes the time to create something from nothing. No there is no such thing as bad art, every creation can be appreciated on some level. There is someone out there to purchase
everyone’s work the trick is finding them.. I read that somewhere. Name names?? Hahaha that’s funny.

Do street artists make ethical choices in what they do, where they do it and how?
Well I do, or try to anyway. I’m not the type of person that likes to piss people off. Albeit I think I’m guilty of it. Inadvertently of course. I would never create something with a preconceived notion to
hurt someone. I like to remain under the radar when it comes to my street work, fat chance though.

Everything is about fear or desire. Which one interests you more?
Fear. Fear of desiring something out of my reach.

The last great piece of work you saw was what, by whom and how did it make you feel?
The ice cream cone spilling out shit on Banksys’ web site. By Banksy or one of his elves. It made me feel like I never want to eat ice cream again.

Can good art be political? Can political art be good?
I try to separate myself from religion and politics. Because it can usually piss people off. Again any art is good to someone out there.

What is good art? What is good street-art?
First part is unanswerable in my opinion. If you made some look, engaged them in any way, it’s good, you did your job.

Who has got completely the wrong end of the stick recently?
Me. Kidding of course. I think Banksy. I saw a lot of chatter about people being disappointed with his last show the pet shop thing. I thought it was brilliant.

Where is it all going?
Not sure. We are all waiting to see what “The Man” does next. Then we will all follow like the rats in the Pied Piper story and be led to our deaths.

Where are you going?
I’m going to the liquor store to get some Bacardi then to the studio to make shit that looks cool.

Is street-art a social activity?
It can be for legal gigs. It’s great to meet other artists and work along side them. Have a drink, shoot the shit, etc.. But true street art isn’t social for me. I actually can’t stand doing it with other
artists. I hate having to worry about what the other guy is doing. I like to be on my own, watching my own back.

What albums are you listening to at the moment?
EMINEM – RELAPSE over and over and over.

In a world without limits you would create…
A way to wake up from a night of drinking with no hangover. Did you pick up on the theme to this interview yet? Yes, last night was a corker at the studio.

How fucked are we on a scale of one to ten? What can we do about it?
10. Nothing. Sit back watch it burn in a blaze of glory.

The ancient Greeks reckoned that art and science should bridge the gap between nature and perfection. What do you reckon?
I reckon I should stop shooting the shit and get to painting. Peace.

Tags: 5 Minutes With, interview, Rene Gagnon

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