Charles Gagnon
Charles Gagnon
1934 - 2003
ARCA
At a time when an artist was usually defined by a single medium, Charles Gagnon created an extensive multimedia body of work. This ever-curious, influential artist always questioned and experimented, creating a diverse oeuvre as a result. He was born in 1934, and left his native Montreal in 1955 for New York City, to make art and pursue higher education. He enrolled at several schools (including the Parsons School of Design) and took classes in painting, art history and design. In New York he was exposed to Abstract Expressionism as well as collections of Ancient Egyptian, Mesopotamian and Mayan art. During this time he was also influenced by jazz, mathematics, Zen philosophy and experimental film. His various interests and passions pushed him to explore many different mediums and approaches to making art.

His abstract paintings are gestural with strong brush-strokes following repetitive trajectories to define space. In his work, one seems to be watching shapes and text form and dissipate. The contemplation of time became one of his main interests, and so it is not surprising that he worked in mediums like photography and film, which contain these experiences. His photographs usually present spaces apparently devoid of human presence, caught in the moment, prompting occasions for the viewer to engage in existential questions.

Gagnon returned to Montreal in 1960, and began to create collages and box-constructions. Like assemblages, these boxes contain photographs, cups, wallpaper and other domestic materials, somewhat like a box of momentos. Yet in defiance of this drive to preserve, many of these boxes have open tops, and their contents seemed to be accessible, even portable. This openness to mediums and materials reflects Gagnon’s general approach to life and art, always open to new ideas and possibilities. Gagnon even experimented with sound, making audio collages and experimental films. Throughout his career he had strong ties to Montreal. He was an educator at Loyola University (now Concordia) for almost 30 years, and was a mentor to many young artists.

He exhibited at Galerie Artek, Museé d'art contemporain (a retrospective in 2001) and Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal. His work has been exhibited in Canadian and international museums, including at Musée du Québec, Tel Aviv Museum in Israel and the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo. His works are represented in several public collections including the National Gallery of Canada, the Art Gallery of Ontario, Vancouver Art Gallery and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington. In 2002 he received the Governor General's Visual and Media Arts Award.
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Intersection by Charles Gagnon sold for $105,300
Charles Gagnon
Intersection
30 x 26 in, 76.2 x 66 cm
oil on canvas
Estimate: $20,000 - $30,000 CDN
Sold for: $105,300 CDN (premium included)
Fall 2009 - 1st Session on Thursday, November 26, 2009
Southern by Charles Gagnon sold for $64,350
Charles Gagnon
Southern
30 x 34 in, 76.2 x 86.3 cm
oil on canvas
Estimate: $30,000 - $50,000 CDN
Sold for: $64,350 CDN (premium included)
Spring 2013 - 1st Session on Wednesday, May 15, 2013
The Sound by Charles Gagnon sold for $58,500
Charles Gagnon
The Sound
32 x 32 in, 81.3 x 81.3 cm
oil on aluminum on board
Estimate: $40,000 - $60,000 CDN
Sold for: $58,500 CDN (premium included)
Spring 2011 - 1st Session on Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Burst by Charles Gagnon sold for $49,250
Charles Gagnon
Burst
16 1/2 x 13 3/4 in, 41.9 x 34.9 cm
casein, pencil and collage on paper
Estimate: $14,000 - $18,000 CDN
Sold for: $49,250 CDN (premium included)
Spring 2017 - 1st Session on Wednesday, May 24, 2017
Crown by Charles Gagnon sold for $46,800
Charles Gagnon
Crown
24 x 33 in, 61 x 83.8 cm
oil on canvas
Estimate: $40,000 - $50,000 CDN
Sold for: $46,800 CDN (premium included)
Fall 2010 - 1st Session on Thursday, November 25, 2010
Sans titre by Charles Gagnon sold for $40,250
Charles Gagnon
Sans titre
15 7/8 x 19 7/8 in, 40.3 x 50.5 cm
casein on paper
Estimate: $15,000 - $25,000 CDN
Sold for: $40,250 CDN (premium included)
Post-War & Contemporary Art | Part One on Thursday, September 30, 2021
Août by Charles Gagnon sold for $38,350
Charles Gagnon
Août
19 7/8 x 15 7/8 in, 50.5 x 40.3 cm
casein and acrylic on paper
Estimate: $10,000 - $15,000 CDN
Sold for: $38,350 CDN (premium included)
Spring 2016 - 1st Session on Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Sonde vert étape 2 - Feeler Green Stage 2 by Charles Gagnon sold for $38,025
Charles Gagnon
Sonde vert étape 2 - Feeler Green Stage 2
40 x 36 in, 101.6 x 91.4 cm
acrylic on canvas
Estimate: $15,000 - $20,000 CDN
Sold for: $38,025 CDN (premium included)
Fall 2008 - 1st Session on Wednesday, November 19, 2008
La ferme de A.T. Décédé by Charles Gagnon sold for $34,250
Charles Gagnon
La ferme de A.T. Décédé
36 x 46 in, 91.4 x 116.8 cm
oil on canvas
Estimate: $30,000 - $50,000 CDN
Sold for: $34,250 CDN (premium included)
Spring Curated on Thursday, May 26, 2022
Sonde vert étape 2 - Feeler Green Stage 2 by Charles Gagnon sold for $30,680
Charles Gagnon
Sonde vert étape 2 - Feeler Green Stage 2
40 x 36 in, 101.6 x 91.4 cm
acrylic on canvas
Estimate: $40,000 - $60,000 CDN
Sold for: $30,680 CDN (premium included)
Fall 2015 - 1st Session on Thursday, November 26, 2015