Robert Williams - The God Father

That rakish raconteur of the art world, founder of Juxtapoz, and Zap Comix denizen, Robert Williams, is coming to the Boomburg of Bellevue, Washington, for a retrospective of his life’s work on October 4th, wielding a rich and meaty, 12” by 15” companion catalog from Fantagraphics Books.

- Interview by Gwynned Vitello Portrait by David Broach

Whether seeking an arcane sub-chapter of art history or insight into the sociological implications of pop culture, there is always a reason to check in with the reverent rapscallion. The wicked humor and wisdom in Robert’s paintings, drawings and sculptures snatch attention, then beguile with depth. Like frightfully funny parables, they can be enjoyed for the immediate wow, then appreciated for the exquisite allusions. After a wide-ranging conversation that bounced off every book in his wall-to-wall library, we took a spin in his 1914 Ford Model T. But that’s for another story.

Gwynned Vitello: It’s interesting, I’ve known you for a long time, and while prepping for our interview and reading your manifesto and the essays, what was really revealing was qualifying yourself, “As ill comprehending as I can I can be.” And that is so true. You’re this maverick with a respect for history, learning and precision, but you’re confounding. Robert Williams: That includes all my faults, but my humility too. But it’ll all be in this book I’ve got coming out. It’s got every painting they could ever find that I’ve done, a little more than 300. It’s a nine and a half-pound book with an introduction by your buddy, Mat Gleason, who’s the equivalent of Carlo McCormick on the West Coast.