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An Interview with Jacub Gagnon
As a chocolatier, I’m always looking for new ideas and inspiration. A few weeks ago I was looking for inspiration in the pages of Juxtapoz magazine when I came across the work of Jacub Gagnon, a young, pop surrealist artist. His work teases one’s perceptions of reality and challenges the status quo, which is what Happy Ending Chocolates aims to accomplish in the confectionary world. Jacub was kind enough to set aside a few minutes to chat with a fellow artist.
X: So are you a foodie?
J: Yeah, a little bit
X: What’s your favorite food?
J: Believe it or not, it’s chocolate. I have to have chocolate everyday and if I go a few days without it I kinda go crazy. I’m addicted(laughs)
X: Nice! I’ll keep that in mind. So you went to school in Toronto. Have you always been in Toronto?
J: No, I’m actually from a tiny rural town; almost no one has heard of it. Marmora.
X: Where?
J: Exactly.[…] It’s tiny. Maybe 1,200 people.
X: So why pop-surrealism?
J: I don’t really know. I’ve just always been a fan of surreal art. I just like to doodle without an end in mind. I just draw and paint whatever might be on my mind at the time. My mom would always look at my sketches and say, “What are you drawing? That’s gross” (laughs)
X: You say you’ve always been a fan of surrealism. Any particular artist that influenced or inspired you?
J Well of course, Dali. There are a couple of other artists, but Dali is the father of [surrealism].
X: I know you have an upcoming exhibit at Distinction Gallery in Escondido, but are you planning a visit to L.A. anytime before that?
J: No, I’ve actually never been to LA. […] I’ve never even been to the US. I get a lot of content on the web, so I’m able to see what’s going on [in L.A.]. That’s actually how I track the progress of my exhibits.
X: Really?!
J: Yeah, I’ve been all around Europe but I haven’t had the chance to visit the US yet. I plan to, but I recently graduated and I’ve been busy trying to get a buzz started here in Toronto.
X: Well, you’ve got a buzz going here already. What are your thoughts about the L.A. art scene.
J: I love it! […] The [art] scene is good [in L.A.]. It seems like [L.A. focuses] on up-and-coming artists a lot more than other cities. I hope to make a trip to L.A. in May.
X: Where do you see [your art] in the future?
J: I want to be well known, of course, but [I want to] stay in the lowbrow movement.
X: What things can we look forward to in the near future? What can we expect to see at Distinction Gallery?
J: At Distinction Gallery there will be eight pieces: four new pieces and four older pieces that I [touched up]. I’m actually painting the biggest piece I’ve ever painted for the exhibit at Distinction Gallery.
X: So what’s the subject of this piece?
J: It’s a secret. […] Actually, to be honest. I don’t even really know yet (laughs)…
We continued talking for a few more minutes. Throughout the interview, I couldn’t help but notice a similarity in our respective artistic journeys. I respect Jacub’s dedication, passion, and modesty.
You can see Jacub Gagnon’s work at Distiction Gallery in Escondido, CA from April 10th - May 1st. The opening reception on April 10 features live music. Happy Ending Chocolate will be in attendance on April 10 handing out chocolates to the attendees of Jacub’s opening at Distinction Gallery.
