Intro / BIO

Artistic approach

From their conception to completion, René Bégin’s artworks are done with a clear intention. Bégin’s art evokes emotion and energy that takes on a life of their own.He celebrates everyday scenes and captures universal emotions found in sporting and urban life. René’s work taps into a unique frame of cultural and social reflection that is uniquely Canadian. After several years of experimentation and stylistic research, Bégin has landed on a unusual pictorial technique. The Montreal native uses hockey tape on wood-panelling as the foundation of his true northern artwork. Some of his creations are exclusively made using the sporting tape and he often layers paint into the colour blocking. The treatment provides an urgency that enhances his sports artwork and add an energy to
his urban work.

The juxtaposition of the clean angular lines of tape with the bold uneven stroke of the brush, Bégin creates colourful art pieces that are vital. 
His artwork often celebrates historical sports figures, while occasionally putting the crowd in the foreground sharing the spotlight. Although he starts with a structure and framework, the accidents of mark making are where the magic comes from. The vague gestures at first glance may appear confusing, but when you step back the marks come into focus in a way that is relevant and unexpected.

Some of René works are designed simply in tape, others only using acrylic paint, while the mix of both techniques work to great effect. Never one to use the same recipe, he always tries to follow a different trajectory for each of his works. Bégin’s graphic designer background is evident in the visual tension and dramatic compositions he employs. Bégin defines his artwork as contemporary figurative; a style that flirts with vintage
and pop-art. 

BIO

From the age of 3, René draws everything that surrounds him. he participates in all drawing contests at elementary and high school. After a University degree in Graphic Design and a career of more than 20 years in advertising and graphic arts, he decided to paint attending a class in acrylic painting in 2010. He began by painting large formats in a figurative style of scenes and sports portraits, landscapes, characters and scenes from everyday life. In the meantime, He created a new and unusual pictorial technique with vinyl sport tape on wood panel. After several years of experimentation and stylistic research, he presented a first solo exhibition in Candiac in autumn 2014 becoming a professional artist at the same time. Since then, he has participated in several collective exhibitions and symposiums throughout Quebec, as well as exhibiting in galleries in Montreal. Three of my paintings are selected twice for the shooting of the television series Patrice Michaud 24/7 at Super Écran for the seasons 2014 and 2015 and two others are included in the show Silence on joue at SRC for the seasons 2016 and 2017. In the same way, his work in Tape Art is the subject of many television reports on Radio-Canada (Infoman 2018, Quelle histoire 2015), V-TV (News 2017), TVA (Fanatik news 2015) as well as a report in web newspaper La Presse + in April 2016. Last April, he exhibited his works in New York at the Artexpo with the Artblend Gallery.

 

Technique

  • Acrylic and sport tape.
 

Formation

  • Acrylic paint with Céline Girard, Delson, 2010
  • Degree Advertising, U Mtl, 1990
  • BAC Graphic Design, UQAM, 1989
 

Solos exhibitions

  • Tape art and Sport, Exhibition (hockey theme), Pee-Wee International Tournament, Quebec city, Qc 2016
  • Cerberus, Conceptual Exhibition (thematic vintage hockey goalies), Maison Mélançon, Candiac 2014-2015
 

Collective exhibitions and symposia

  • Artexpo, Artblend Gallery, New-York2019
  • Hélène-Sentenne Foundation Symposium, Candiac, Qc2018
  • Infoman Exhibition, Galerie du Viaduc, Mtl2018
  • Armori Steele Exhibition, Patrick Mikhail Gallery, Montreal, Qc2017
  • Hist-Art Exhibition , Candiac, Qc 2017
  • Hélène-Sentenne Foundation Symposium, Candiac, Qc 2017
  • The AAPARS Spring Exhibition, Brossard, Qc 2017
  • Hélène-Sentenne Foundation Symposium, Candiac, Qc 2016
  • Festival of Arts Symposium, Port-Daniel, Qc 2015
  • Plaisir d’Artiste Exhibition, Montreal, Qc 2015
  • Hélène-Sentenne Foundation Symposium, Candiac, Qc 2015
  • Salon des Arts Symposium, Ste-Julie, Qc 2015
  • AVR Exhibition, St-Constant, Qc 2015
  • Festival of Arts Symposium, Port-Daniel, Qc 2014
  • Maison Mélançon Exhibition, Candiac, Qc 2013
  • St-Laurent Cultural Center, La Prairie, Qc 2011 to 2013
 

Gallerie

  • Patrick Mikhail, Mtl, Qc 2017
  • ImpresArts, Mtl, Qc 2015
 

Distinctions

  • Mention, Expo AVR, St-Constant, Qc 2015
  • 3rd prize, Maison Mélançon, Candiac, Qc 2013
 

Publications

  • Hist-Art book, artwork published in collection for 60th year city of Candiac 2017
  • La Presse +digital newspaper, report section A guy, a passion
                 "The history of sport in hockey tape", section Pause, Sunday, April 3th 2016
  • Le Refletnewspaper, editorial report "He shoots and paints" 2014
  • Lambert Express digital newspaper, editorial illustrations 2014
  • Sportif Magazine, editorial illustrations 1993-1994
 

Broadcast

 

Others occupations

  • Graphic Designer, ad consultant and illustrator 1990 to 2019
  • Visual arts teacher C.S.D.G.S (high school, grades 1-3)2009 to 2011