His Name Is RENE GAGNON... Legendary Street & Graffiti Artists Hits Mecka Gallery in Bushwick!

"HI! My name is… A Solo Exhibition of This and That”, a new show by Rene Gagnon opened this past weekend at Mecka Gallery in Bushwick to big crowds enamored with his work, some for decades.  I've been following Gagnon's work for years but what I didn't know (but learned from his wonderful parents) is that his street art and tagging dates back to around 1986. Rene explains how he basically competed the entire body of work for the show in about two and a half months.  

As you enter the gallery you will see countless canvases, wheat pastes and installations depicting a variety of quotes, themes, puns and creative brilliance.  If you were one of the first lucky 100 in the gallery you were able to take home a signed print and book of his work.  Definite collectors pieces!

Mecka galleries appropriately choose Gagnon as the inaugural show fittingly as his art has ventured into a wide variety of styles reflecting contemporary, graffiti and street art he had displayed for decades.  A few favorites although it's hard to choose were “Cash Rules Everything Around Me” and "Campbell's Graffiti" stencil, and let's not forget the framed canvas wall including "You Think You Own But You Have No Idea."  Many of these stencils and wheat pastes he considers some greatest hits, as well as more sculptural installations and video work that he has explored in recent years.

Mecka Gallery is the second gallery for partners Joseph Bouganim, Arseny Libon, and Joshua Harris, DeDemko, you may recognize their first endeavor Bottleneck Gallery, located in Williamsburg that focuses on pop art and posters.  Mecka Gallery plans to feature mainly street art and contemporary, lining up a roster of artists for planned installations of street art, graffiti, murals, fine art and  photography.  This year expect to view big artist names such as Pr1est, Judith Supine, a dual show with Martha Cooper and ELLE, a group show with graffiti prints including artists like Martin Whatson and Dot Dot Dot.  

Rene Gagnon lives and works in his small, textile industry and hometown of Fall River, MA, his work has been exhibited worldwide in museums, galleries and on the street.  Gagnon was part of the historical, ‘Wooster on Spring Street’ exhibition in 2006 that collected the top players in the street art game to takeover a historic building in Soho, which is still heralded as one of the biggest art events New York City has ever seen. In 2009, Gagnon was part of the highly regarded NUART Festival that allowed street artists to paint the inside walls of the Rogaland Kunst Museum in Stavanger, Norway.

Have a look at the exhibit below, although photos do not do this mega installation justice, a must see in person until it closes on January 26, 2013.  (More info at the bottom of the post.)

Rene Gagnon and his father

Mecka Gallery is located at 65 Meadow St., Brooklyn, NY 11206 and is open Tuesday - Saturday from 12-6 p.m.  Visit: http://www.meckagallery.com & http://renegagnonfineart.com

http://www.bottleneckgallery.com. For even more coverage visit Brooklyn Street Art at http://www.brooklynstreetart.com/theblog