Interview

Dec 2

Dave Clarke

Dave Clarke was born to two World War II refugees in the Bronx, NY where he lived until he was two-years-old. From there they moved to Brooklyn, NY, then to Nassau County, Long Island, NY, then Suffolk County, Long Island, NY. College took Dave to Arizona State University (where he met the girl of his dreams). The two of them soon moved to Boston, MA, then to San Jose, CA, then Los Angeles, CA, then, when their children were born to Santa Cruz, CA on the Monterey Bay where their children could see and embrace the giant Redwood trees that grow along the coast as well as the beaches there. He and his wife eventually moved to San Jose, CA where they reside now, and live very happily ever after.

What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?

“I am a journalist, a photojournalist, novelist, short story writer, social media writer. As I traveled the world interviewing CEOs of the world's largest companies, I always had a camera in hand. My photographic training began during my pursuit of a master's degree at UCLA. I have long been an artist, it's only now that I've decided to share my work with the world at large.”

What inspires you?

“Above all else, nature inspires me. A 19th Century American Transcendentalist philosopher said, ‘There is me and there is all that is not me. All that is not me is nature.’ Flowers inspire me, trees inspire me, landscapes inspire me. I am also intrigued by work of the surrealists. You will see that in my work as I juxtapose language with art to reflect the curious ways in which language expresses itself and how that might otherwise be interpreted as art. Most of all, however, the woman of my dreams, the mother of my children, inspires me to be the best man I can be.”

What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?

“I pursue nature, wildlife, landscapes, wildlife, and the hypocrisies often all too prevalent in the world around us.”

How would you describe your work?

“Sometimes my work is a snapshot, a moment in time, of the world around. I intend for it to help the viewer/owner appreciate what is, all too often, a fleeting moment gone before we can appreciate it. At other times, I like to twist, bend, and shape the world around us to delight in new ways of looking at world. And, at other times, still, I like to point out the hypocrisies that puncture our understanding of what should be.”

Which artists influence you most?

“Da Vinci, Dali, Picasso, and Magritte.”

What is your creative process like?

“My creative process is rooted in the fact that I don't censor my thoughts. I may not follow through on every notion that pops into my head, but I don't reject any of my thoughts. Listening to instrumental music, most often, classical music helps free my mind while drowning out the deafening silence that I, as a writer, am usually surrounded by, I can be driving and a thought for a new piece of art will pop into my head. Then, I start to visualize how that thought will turn into an interesting, valuable, entertaining piece of art.”

What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?

“An artist's role is deflate the evildoers in our world by exposing them, mocking them, and letting the world see them for what they truly are: Trouble. The artist's role doesn't evolve, the art s/he creates evolves to keep up with the times.”