In Standing Figure, Bruce Gagnier transposes his sculptural sensitivity to canvas, capturing a solitary human form with raw immediacy and psychological gravity. The elongated figure occupies the vertical plane like a relic or witness—fragile, monumental, and profoundly human.

Concept & Interpretation

More than a figure study, Standing Figure is an existential portrait. The subject stands vulnerably upright, caught between endurance and exposure. Gagnier invites us to see the body not as an ideal, but as a living archive of human experience—marked, unheroic, and resilient.

Context within Gagnier’s Practice

Known primarily for his figurative sculpture, Gagnier brings the same sensibility to his paintings. This work aligns with his broader interest in the flawed figure, psychologically charged posture, and expressive distortion. It complements his sculptural works like Citizen and Yensine, while offering a uniquely painterly introspection.

Standing Figure is a haunting, eloquent depiction of the human condition—vulnerable and upright, quiet and enduring. In its simplicity and scale, it commands the viewer’s attention, drawing us into a conversation not about form alone, but about being.