Today we’d like to introduce you to Carl Gombert.
Hi Carl, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started taking painting lessons at 14, and have been a committed art student ever since. I continued the private lessons through high school and college and paid for them by working in the art supply store and frame shop associated with the school. The private classes gave me a thorough, old-fashioned background in traditional realism. I also did a BFA in Drawing and then an MFA in Painting. I worked as a stagehand and set designer before eventually going on to get a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Fine Arts which led to a job teaching both studio art and art history at Maryville College.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Pretty smooth overall, but some bumps. My work has always been hard to place. It is too traditional for many contemporary venues but too weird for traditional spaces.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am primarily a painter. I make things, both objects and images. Some are large, realistic portraits and the others are very decorative, geometrical, and symmetrical.
One series I am proud of is a set of 24 self-portraits called “The Real Me.” In these works, I present myself as various races, ethnicities, and occupations to explore how we react to various visual clues. The work has been widely exhibited and well received as a useful tool for facilitating discussion about differences.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
One piece of advice is to show up and do the work. No one is going to give you the time to make stuff. You have to create the time and be very disciplined about being productive. The world is full of competing demands and enticing offers to do other stuff, but being an artist means getting into the studio regularly. I would also encourage folks to be their own toughest critic. Many important things are harder than we think they will be and take longer than we expect. Being a professional is often a matter of sticking with it and taking it all the way to the end.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.gombertart.com
- Instagram: @carlgombert
- Facebook: @gombertart
