"The primary goal for me is to create images with one
idea in mind – to bring a sense of pleasure to the viewer,
whether it is peace or joy or stillness. Doing that in these
stressful times, creating places where people can go and hide
from a crazy world is the most important thing I can accomplish
as an artist."— René Lalonde
Blending the traditions of surrealism, cubism, and fauvism,
René Lalonde’s artwork approaches us with both
the emotional force of vivid and unusual color, and the simplicity
of flattened out planes, bringing the everyday to life with
extraordinary intensity. Though his works are vibrant and intense,
they somehow project a sense of calm, serenity, and at times
easygoing buoyancy, leaving us wondering as to the nature of
this paradoxical effect.
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The primary goal for me is to create images
with one idea in mind – to bring a sense of pleasure to
the viewer, whether it is peace or joy or stillness. Doing that
in these stressful times, creating places where people can go
and hide from a crazy world is the most important thing I can
accomplish as an artist.— René Lalonde
Blending the traditions
of surrealism, cubism, and fauvism, René Lalonde’s
artwork approaches us with both the emotional force of vivid
and unusual color, and the simplicity of flattened out planes,
bringing the everyday to life with extraordinary intensity.
Though his works are vibrant and intense, they somehow project
a sense of calm, serenity, and at times easygoing buoyancy,
leaving us wondering as to the nature of this paradoxical effect.
René Lalonde was born
in Montreal in 1950, the oldest of four children in a working
class family. He was drawn to the arts at an early age and bought
his first serious set of paints, brushes and canvases at age
12. He proved to be graced with a rich imagination, which flourished
during his time spent at boarding school, a confining though
ultimately inspiring environment. As the tumultuous 1960s unfolded,
Lalonde was swept up in the excitement of rock and roll, the
Beatles, and what was to become known as the “British
Invasion.” The artistic movements spawned in the psychedelic
revolution particularly drew Lalonde, leading him to the works
of surrealists like Magritte, Dali and Ernst as he explored
his own creative drive. Traces of this influence can be seen
in the paradoxical effect of Lalonde’s works and the sometimes-startling
juxtapositions of objects and elements. Lalonde also admired
Warhol and Lichtenstein’s work as we can see in his focus
on everyday subjects. Peter Max’s psychedelic posters,
all the rage during his teens, ultimately influenced his later-developed
fauvist approach with an at-times acid range of color values.
Lalonde began to create and
sell his own paintings and in 1967 was invited to present his
work at a Montreal gallery— his first solo exhibition.
It was a resounding success, encouraging him to continue with
his artistic development. At the age of 19, he was admitted
into L’Ecole du Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal,
a school attached to The Montréal Museum of Fine Arts.
He anticipated learning new techniques and new art forms but
left after a year, disillusioned by the way the courses were
conducted. Instead, he continued to paint for himself, and began
working with an art book publisher. There he discovered Picasso’s
late Cubism, with its more recognizable forms, and the color
and infused light of Parrish and Chagall. Each of these artists
was to strongly influence Lalonde over time. The element of
light is key to every Lalonde artwork, a presence that gives
mysterious 3-D form to the flat geometric planes comprising
many of his images as well as a spiritual illumination.
His artworks cover a diverse
range of everyday subjects though there are a few that are quite
distinctive; dramatic arrays of brilliantly colored flowers
and vases, lush landscapes tinged with a dream-like atmosphere,
and geometric patterns filled with colors fractured into spectacular
light and pattern. Regardless of the subject matter, the results
are paintings rich with dramatic content and intense color,
with a luminous and sometimes whimsical quality. When pressed
for a label to describe his style, Lalonde suggests that he
creates a sort of “New Modern Art,” but adds that
the search to label his work often constrains him, so he prefers
that each viewer define his art by what they see in it. As his
personal vision guides him through each painting, he asks that
the viewer allow their own emotions to guide them through the
experience of enjoying the artwork.
In the late 70s, Lalonde began
a series of solo exhibitions throughout Canada. With more exhibits
and experience behind him, his artwork was soon represented
throughout Canada and the United States. To date, his career
includes over sixty solo exhibits worldwide.
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