Paul Gagner’s paintings blend self-deprecating and wry humor with illustrative figuration and reflexive storytelling. His subject matter is vast, ranging from massively scaled sandwiches (often filled with toppings that absurdly extend beyond the edible realm) to still lifes with arranged body parts, art books, and everyday objects. His recent work develops this array of narrative subject matter, while also continuing a series of paintings of self-help book covers by Dr. Howard Mosely -- a fictitious psychologist crafted by Gagner, whose book titles reflect an internal dialogue of the artist’s own fears, anxieties, and grievances. The result is a hilarious reflection of the sardonic and honest thoughts that are incredibly present for artists today, while also poking fun at the structures of the art world and the system in which artists operate. At his recent show at SPRING/BREAK Art Fair, Gagner expanded these Howard Mosely paintings into objects themselves -- transforming them into book covers and translating the painting into a physical object. Witty and poignant, Gagner’s paintings are a harmonious balance of imagined narratives and honest observation, dense with content and a joy to unpack as look at as viewer. Paul Gagner grew up in rural Wisconsin and received his BFA from School of Visual Arts and his MFA from Brooklyn College. Currently based in Brooklyn, NY, Gagner has shown in solo, two person, and group exhibitions nationally and internationally, including David & Schweitzer Contemporary, Lesley Heller Workspace, and Linda Warren Projects. This year, Gagner showed work at SPRING/BREAK Art Fair, had a solo show at Allen & Eldridge Gallery, NY, and was in a two person show at Katharine Mulherin Contemporary in Toronto, ON.