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A DAY WITH CLAUDE CLARK
by
Gladys E. Rodgers
I began a research project in 1994 that eventually took me across the continent in search of an artist who had resided in Philadelphia in the 1940s. The artist I sought was Claude Clark, venerable teacher, educator and painter of Black genre at a time when such subjects were both uncommon and seemingly unwelcomed in American art. My research project, an extension of my graduate thesis on African American artists in Philadelphia from the period 1960 to 1970, was undertaken at the suggestion of three good friends, David Driskell, Richard Watson and Frank Galuszka, all of whom served as my thesis advisors, sought to connect contemporary African American artists to the rich cultural history that Black artists made for themselves in the 1940s.
Claude Clark seemed to be the logical artist to inaugurate my study. He was educated in one of the major art institutions in the city, the Philadelphia Museum School of Art. He continued his studies at the Barnes Foundation where he had day to day contact with the foundation's founder, Dr. Albert C. Barnes. As a child Clark resided in an old community outside Philadelphia called Manayunk. One of his prized paintings depicts the church in the community that meant so much to him and his family. Clarks work in the Philadelphia area is largely undocumented in "mainstream" art history texts.
My introduction to Claude Clark came about in rather unusual circumstances. One, I had the opportunity to see Clark and his wonderful wife, The Rev. Daima Clark opening night of the Barnes Exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 1994. Unfortunately he was surrounded by many admirers and photographers, making it impossible for me to introduce myself. David Driskell was my host for the evening and he assured me that I would have an opportunity to meet Claude Clark alone. My second opportunity cam two years later when a long time friend expressed an interest in my research. We began by examining some of Clark's work for a special project he was working on. I reintroduced myself to the Clarks via telephone and correspondence. It was a meeting I shall long remember. Rev. Clark and I developed a kinship of "sisterhood" while I spend hours talking to Mr. Clark about his technique and the principles of art. What we didn't talk about on the phone was taken up in correspondences by mail. It was hard to believe that we had not met years before because our thoughts and ideas were so similar.
My friend expressed interest in the painting "On Sunday Morning", one of Clark's finest works. He asked me to go to the Clark's resident in Oakland, California and view the painting. I no longer had to stand in the background and wait for my turn to speak. I was having my own time with this outstanding artist admiring his insightful knowledge of art through all ages.
"On Sunday Morning",
Oil on Canvas 40" x 60" Collection:
Camille 0. and William H. Cosby, Jr.
After a warm reception at the home of Daima and Claude Clark, both of whom were wonderful hosts, I began taping our conversations. I focused on a narrative documentation of Mr. Clark's life, centering most of my questions around his prized paintings, many of which he still owns.
Clark is a draftsman who executes color and light in a definitive manner. His color preferences seem to be determined by the location of his travel and historical events. "On Sunday Morning", (1940) a painting of a church in Manayunk, Pennsylvania shows church goers casually strolling to Sunday morning service. Primarily a painting about color and the multi-faceted approach to shade and light the work evokes memories of his childhood in Manayunk. He talked about the church and the grounds where he played and worshipped as a young boy. For nearly an hour, I was thoroughly engrossed with each detail coming from an acknowledged cultural sage. He had made several studies of that church from memory noting the environmental differences each time he painted it in later years. He watched the community grow around the building. I was pleased to have this narrative on tape, hearing the actual story connected to the painting and getting a documented version from the living artist. This was the report I needed to connect Claude Clark to my research on Philadelphia artists of the 1940s.
The day with the Clarks was filled with warm and loving memories. hours went by like minutes and before I realized it my day had come to an end. Not only did we talk through lunch but we had a difficult time saying good bye when it came time for me to leave. What I gained that afternoon was an aesthetic experience that highlights the spirit of an artist far more vividly than I had ever imagined.
Each body of work speaks eloquently of its own time in Claude Clarks painterly narrative; each defines his intent. From the Caribbean series to his Egyptian paintings, Clark was a prophet far ahead of his time. The numerous innovations in his work document his particular aesthetic philosophy of Africa as well as that of the diaspora. Painting the market places in the different regions of the world, captured the prosperity of people instead of the down side of life, noting body gestures of people walking, working or playing all showed a justifiable sense of one artist's aesthetic judgment. Positive imagery with historical continuity is a trade mark of Claude Clark and never once did he waiver. I am pleased that I had a small part in presenting this inspirational artist; a paradigm of majestic harmony and a true gentleman.
Gladys E. Rodgers
To the top (Essays)(Think Then Act)
Revised: March 21, 1999.
Copyright © 1996 by Gladys E. Rodgers. Music by Roy Eldridge titled "The Man I
Love" from CD titled Roy "Eldridge in Paris"Vogue In Paris BMG music. All
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