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"As a child in the churches, the schools and the community, I dreamed of a destiny. My search became a single purpose for the dignity of Black Americans instead of attempting to solve the concerns of all humanity. Early on, I was convinced a creative spirit must soar beyond compartments of religion and politics. It was through the roots of African Art that I learned of the creative source of most Western art. As I stood near the Nile at Cairo and looked toward the Mediterranean in awe, I envisioned how the Greeks, Persians, Romans, etc., had sailed up the Nile, taking away the fine arts, sciences, history and other disciplines. There were records on paper, on stone, on walls in the temples that rivaled anything produced later in the Renaissance. Over the years, I have painted representative and figurative subjects. About thirty years ago, I was introduced to Non-Objective Expressionism. I didn't attempt abstract art in the 1930s, nor did I try during my years at the Barnes Foundation. Dr. Barnes not only has the world's finest collection of Modern Art, but presents the theory in his book, "The Art of Painting," that the format of the Modern Masters was the same as that of old Western Masters. For instance, the contemporary artist presents a simple design, while the old Master presented the same format, but built in the detailed subject matter. I believe that the African creative artists gave the format to the Western world and they are masters of design (especially Egyptians). I feel that I understand contemporary directions; and I relax for a while, to have fun such as with inventive avant-garde. I have learned much that I have applied to my craft, and I feel that I have become a more flexible creative spirit." |
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|  Boats on the Bayou - Year 1961 |
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Claude Clark was an easel painter. He used European tools and methods of work. Clark did a variety of work ranging from figures, flower studies, landscapes, boat marine life and nonobjective abstract. Clark was a master of light and color. He has been listed in numerous art directories and books. Clark's work can be found at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C., de Young Museum in San Francisco, plus numerous other major art museums and collections throughout the country. |