He also recalls the memory of his father, a second-hand dealer, as well as that of a pottery workshop he set up, then a framing workshop he ran, and finally his first works that he published in order to sell them.
René Lemay grew up, one might say, in the antechamber of visual art. And what he calls an opposite path is in fact an avenue that naturally led him toward a profession that was logically meant to be his. This would happen in 1969; at the age of 35, he seriously set himself to the task.
Twenty-five years later, we walk in front of his works and one thing becomes clear: there are choices of primary colours applied in strong and defined ways. This could result in tensions, contradictions, even oppositions, but it is not the case. Movement and juxtaposition resolve all conflicts. From the works emerges a beautiful balance and perfect harmony.
The canvases we observe depict horses, dancers, musicians, and all share a common denominator: movement. René Lemay speaks of it as an essential raw material. A tool that allows him to create strongly stylized, elongated, and essential forms.
The artist says he applies the technique of watercolour to acrylic. Thus, on one hand, the transparency of the medium allows the masses to be linked together, and on the other, lines in pencil or brush will confirm a given line or movement. “It often happens that my paintings appear at the very end… They appear in a few minutes, without really having been predicted.”
But what might resemble an innate science of composition is in fact a long, well-integrated knowledge, acquired over time, of the laws of harmony.
Both sensitive and realistic, René Lemay knows that promoting his works is part of his responsibilities as an artist. Here, he has his place in major galleries. It is no surprise that his gaze turns toward new horizons: Toronto and Paris, where exhibitions are planned, and New York as well, where contacts have been established.
At the origin, his talent is natural. It developed naturally. One can foresee that his influence will continue… naturally.