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RENE PRICE
L-A-W-N-G-U-A-R-D
rene.price@sympatico.ca

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Rene's SLICE OF SUBURBIA video
Rene's interview with OTMG..... The postcard from Mendelson Joe,
Review by Mike Landry, Things of Desire

Show runs: Thurs June 4 - Sat June 27, 2009
Opening Reception: Sat June 6, 2-6pm
Artist present at the opening (June 6th)
& at the closing (June 27th).
Gallery hours: 2-5pm, Thurs - Sat or by App't


Lawnguard,indoor/outdoor carpet,120cm x 240cm (4ft x 8 ft)

Every spring, we see thee rise, the true Lawn, Strong and Green. And for the length of the growing season, we stand on guard for Green, and fight against the Yellow of the weeds and the Brown brought on by countless hordes of creepy crawly things.

Although he privately admits that the Dandy Lion is his favourite flower, Rene Price brings out the heavy artillery in his Lawn Guard project.  He mobilizes a Suburban Guerilla, provides a DVD-equipped Deerlux lawn tractor and, outside, confronts visitors with his Pop Gun. Price’s Lawn Puzzle shows that he is even ready, if need be, to deliver a final solution of Pure Green artifice.

 In Funeral Friends, we are regaled to visions of the Greenest pastures still to come, our perfect cemetery plots, the last lawns, fed by nutrients from a wellspring six feet under.

 And all of this at 60% off!!!!

Artist Statement: I work on large-scale projects that reach beyond the white cube and involve non-traditional partners, patrons and audiences. My art is about things: found things, created things, transformed things. I have created thousands of works of all sizes and shapes, in different media (painting, photography, sculpture and video installations). The excess of my artistic production reflects our society’s obsession with productivity for the sake of productivity and with the accumulation of goods. 

My SUBURBIART, the focus of this show, is just one of several series of satiric 2D and 3D mixed-up-media works that affectionately mock “our” society’s foibles. MOTOART, NAKIDART, CROSSART, MINORITYART, ARTART, BOYART, BUREAUCRATICART, FACEART, WARART, and a little NICEART too. It all references prevalent cultural absurdities. My stuff is accessible, vernacular, kitschy and rough in style, always ready to question “our” obsession with mass-produced perfectionism and slickness, hallmarks of a supposedly progressive society.

To me, my art is fun, funny and for the fun of it. It is intended to read as art beyond art, as most people who will take it in, (outside of the museum context) don’t really care if it is art or not.

Artist’s Bio: Rene Price was born in the countryside, near a forest, with a stream in his backyard. He now lives in a no-name suburb in the city of Cornwall, far, far away from here. He likes to have fun doing his Art.

Price has shown bits and pieces of his almost 2000 faux art brute style 3D art pieces, paintings, photography and now DVDs, around the country in Ottawa, Toronto, London, Winnipeg, Calgary, St Foy, as well as Cornwall. After each show, he U-Hauls everything  back to his very own backyard storage compound, garage, bedrooms and basement workshop. Tired of this routine, the almost geriatric artist is planning to establish MORCA, (Museum of Rene’s Contemptorary Art) where his works will find a final resting place for all to see. 

Price’s works are in the collections of the Canada Council’s Art Bank, the City of Ottawa, Art Gallery of Algoma and the University of Winnipeg, as well as in the backs of closets of numerous private collectors. His exhibitions have been reviewed in Border Crossings, Espace, Art Papers (USA) and many newspapers.  A website, providing 1000 of his ideas in 1000 seconds, is under construction.

In 2003, Price built a 24’x24’x24’ pyramid-shaped suburban house sculpture in Cornwall, with a little help from our friends at the Canada Council, the Ontario Arts Council and Revenue Canada.

Rene's Installation Photos


Lawn Guard 1









Lawn Mower





Rene's SLICE OF SUBURBIA video


Lawn Guard 2


Large Lawn Puzzle


Small Lawn Puzzle

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