Eric Lamontagne

Je Me Souviens: Contemporary Figurative Painting in Acrylic Oil

2023

Interaction with one of Lamontagne’s works is, simply put, a surreal experience. By using one of several points of entrance, viewers are permitted to experience multiple views of combinations of two and 3-dimensional aspects of his work that redefine the rules of space. Whether looking through peep-holes, or in experiencing the final effects of his mise-en-scène, Lamontagne’s work courts the viewer’s curiosity and imagination, inviting them to let go of traditional ways of seeing and to enter into a playful relationship of what is possible. The piecemeal nature of his mise-en scène with the steam locomotive engine, paired with the accompanying audio recalls time gone by. It remains unclear, however whether this is a memory work, or from a parallel, past, or future time. The space itself appears somewhat liquid in that the various elements are capable of pulling even further away from one another, increasing their dissolving aspect. The upper portions of the canvases succeed at further confusing our understanding of this space with their contradictory gravity work. The streaked nude canvas left exposed would have us believe that there is an upward force on the painted image, while the subjects of the images are reacting only to the usual gravitational pulls. To further confound an understanding of the space, it is not clear as to whether the painted images are in the process of dissolving or being created. Like in dreams or memories there is a sense of something being slightly amiss, or askance. Suspended just short of being fully realized or separated from a state of wholeness, the scene is both static and yet there is a heightened awareness of the potentially impending series of motions that would play out. Other glimpses into parallel and alien scenarios are found throughout the exhibit, offering impossible views and playfully prodding the mind to accept or consider other possibilities. In keeping with past works, there is a focus on an interdisciplinary approach that merges and creates new realities as well as allows for a wide range of perspectives- while maintaining a playfulness. The everyday nature of the visual subject is inclusive, cemeteries, studios, countryside, fireplaces, a sunset, their simplicity is instrumental in allowing viewers to focus of the mechanics of navigating and understanding how the artworks inhabit their space, and the relationships that exist between the viewer and any of the given works.