Carl Gombert's large-scale representations of grimaces and odd facial expressions are what the artist calls his "attempt to get past portrait conventions - to present faces in a wider variety of pose and gesture than is standard." As reflected in his work, he is drawn to the human face and is captivated by its flexibility and the variety of expressions it can achieve. He is interested in finding the humor and playfulness not generally seen in your typical portrait pose. Gombert notes, "The overblown grimaces and goofy expressions are funny, as are the color choices. These are caricatures, models mugging for the camera, hyperbolic exaggerations of real emotion."

Gombert, born in Brimfield, OH, started taking painting lessons at the age of 14 with money he earned delivering newspapers. He later earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Akron, and a Master of Fine Arts degree in painting from Kent State University. He worked as a stagehand before pursuing a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Fine Arts at Texas Tech University. He has exhibited in more than 75 shows throughout the country since 1985. In 2001, Gombert had a solo show at Kentucky's Berea College and was included in the recent Tennessee State Museum's Best of Tennessee exhibition. Since 1993, he has taught painting, drawing and art history at Maryville College in Maryville, TN.