Robert Combas: The Clown's Laugh

French artist Robert Combas, born 1957 in Lyon and based in Ivry-sur-Seine, discusses his career and recent projects in a 2006 interview. He gained recognition for his figurative, text-laden paintings often compared to enlarged comics, though he insists his work is painting. A major monograph by Philippe Dagen (Paris Musées/Snoeck) and a collection of his writings, 'Écrits d'œuvres' (Panama/Musées), were recently published. Combas's works were shown at Art Paris on the Guy Pieters gallery stand, with upcoming exhibitions at Galerie Hélène Trintignan in Montpellier (April 27–June 15) and Galerie Guy Pieters in Knokke-le-Zoute in May. He describes his 'Tatouages académiques' series, started in 1994, where he redraws on classical academic studies, blending primitive and academic styles. Combas cites early influences from Ladislas Kijno, whom he later collaborated with on a series of large paintings including the fourteen stations of the cross and erotic works. He also mentions the importance of humor and titles in his work, inspired by Dada and Hara-Kiri. His recent exhibition at the Magazzini del Sale in Venice during the 2005 Biennale featured a large sculpture of a woman with a boat on her head and site-specific canvases. Combas continues to explore themes of war, sex, and music, having formed the band Les Démodés.