IN HIS OWN WORDS


	A.		B.

CLAUDE CLARK

ARTIST'S STATEMENT MADE IN 1989

As a child in the churches, the schools and the com-munity, I dreamed of a destiny. My search became a single purpose for the dignity of Black people instead of attempting to solve the concerns of all humanity. Early on I was convinced that 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 subiects. 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.

ARTIST STATEMENT AT BAMANI GALLERY IN 1995

"I attempt to use Fauna and Flora in an environment to create the essence of some visual spiritual values of the universe. My search took on a single purpose in the garden on earth for the heritage and dignity of African people. As we seek to know ourselves, we're ready to help others. Early on I was convinced that a creative spirit must soar beyond the compartments of religion and politics. Such freedom has enabled me in celebration of creativity to learn and to know that through the roots of African Art, I learned the source of most Western Art."

(Essays) (Think Then Act) (UC Berkeley)