With no topic too taboo, too gory or scatological, Joan Cornellà’s universe is the very definition of tragicomedy, embodying the nihilistic absurdity of experience and existence. His deadpan humour emerges full force in his comics and paintings, which illustrate devastatingly bleak narratives in a bright palette, coupled with a host of grinning characters.
Caught in horrific situations, such as mutilation by machine gun, amputation, suicide and immolation, Cornellà’s characters have it rough. Their rowboat shaped smile, plastered on taut faces passively frozen in oblivious delight, point to an almost idiotic resignation to the horrors of their existence. And yet, the current work, Untitled #4, is a peek behind the curtains of Cornellà’s tragicomic theatre. The work reveals the reality that is contrary to the viewer's expectations: those polished black holes are no more than coverings for his real eyes. His real eye, painted with photo realistic details, is shocking when juxtaposed with the overall cartoonish simplicity of the work. It is all the more so unsettling in its piercing blue gaze, nestled within fleshy folds, and looking directly at the viewer in a subtle dismantling of the fourth wall. At once the viewer recoils with the realisation: this is an incredibly worn out person whose real eyes are not as nearly bright and attractive as it seems -- the result of the uncanny detailing of wrinkles and highlights unnatural to the chosen style. This effect is ultimately amusing, in the way one often resorts to laughter when met with the baffling and inexplicable.
Cornellà’s casual displays of hyperviolence addresses contemporary issues of the subtle violences prevalent in everyday life and perpetuated, by our ignorance – being enslaved to capitalist machinery, wealth inequality, racism, sexism, and even of human loneliness. And yet, despite the grimness of his topics, Cornellà’s mastery of physical comedy delivers his punchlines with lethal accuracy, and it is with immense difficulty that one keeps from laughing, albeit with a tinge of shame. Without any dialogue, the images speak for themselves through simple visual cues, demanding interpretation from viewers in order to access the point being made.
“I think we all laugh at misery. We must start from the idea that when we laugh, we laugh at someone or something. With empathy or not, there is always some degree of cruelty. In spite of that, I am aware that if one of my cartoons happened in real life I would not laugh at all.” — Joan Cornellà
Internet sensation Joan Cornellà Vázquez, or better known by his first two names, was born in Barcelona in 1981. Known for his comic strips and artworks that are full of satire, Cornellà rose to fame via his colourful 6-panel comic strips originating as Facebook posts. His works have been on view across the globe in Seoul, Taipei, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Paris, New York and London. Joan Cornellà lives and works in Barcelona.