Sarkis, painter: 'You can look at all these objects; like actors they will play a role somewhere'

The artist Sarkis works in Villejuif, a quiet suburb in south-east Paris. He moved into this former printing factory from a smaller studio 15 years ago. Born in Turkey, in 1938, Sarkis was brought up the son of an Armenian. He tells the story of his first epiphany: helping his father in his butcher's shop on a Sunday, his job was to wrap the packages of meat in newspaper. One day as he wrapped a joint his eyes fastened on a reproduction of Munch's painting The Scream. "It changed my life. It wa