Henry Ray Clark facts for kids

Henry Ray Clark (1936 – July 29, 2006) was a folk artist born in Bartlett, Texas.

Life

Born in 1936 in the small town of Bartlett, Texas, Clark's family moved to Houston. Young Henry dropped out of school after the sixth grade to "go up on the streets." Henry Ray Clark was a compelling figure in both appearance and personality. Handsome, with deep blue eyes, he came to be known on the streets of Houston as "Pretty Boy" and then "The Magnificent Pretty Boy". In 1977, he was found guilty of assault and sentenced under Texas' "Three Strikes" Law to 25 years in Huntsville State Prison. There, Clark was introduced to the prison arts programs and began to draw. Clark found that drawing provided him with a release from the confinement of prison. Using ballpoint pens and salvaged manila envelopes, he created images of far-off galactic worlds inhabited by powerful beings. His characteristic drawing style involves detailed patterning and line work. Clark's talent was discovered at a prison art show by William Steen, who sold Clark's work to national and international buyers. Clark died on July 29, 2006 at the age of 69.

Works

Drawing in colored ballpoint pen on any scrap of paper he could get his hands on, preferably manila envelopes, Clark drew clocks and figures; he drew the planets he said he visited in a spaceship in his dreams. Art and dreaming — tools to engineer a temporary escape from state prison. Discovered by William Steen in a prison art show, Clark found an enthusiastic reception in the wider world. After winning a prize in the "Texas Department of Corrections Art Show," he was exhibited in "Living Folk" at Hirschl & Adler Folk Gallery in New York in 1990; "Passionate Visions of the American South," New Orleans Museum of Art, 1993, and "Spirited Journeys: Self-Taught Texas Artists of the Twentieth Century," 1997. Clark said his work comes to him naturally: "I sit down and, watch a football game or watch my soap operas every day. While I'm watching, this my hand be real busy. Every once in a while, I glance down, I don't know where it come from, but it's beautiful precise control." Looking further into specific works from Clark, a well-known piece titled “I am The Day Star,” contains psychedelic patterns and shapes that complement his dreamlike style. With patterns that hint towards his cultural roots and colors that accommodate dreamlike visions, this work captures the uniqueness that separates prison art from any other. His artwork seems to capture the polarities in his life, from reality to fantasy and from the influences that come from the confines of a prison cell. Another work that embodies these traits is titled “The Magnificent Pretty Boy.” This piece, along with “I am The Day Star” captures mesmerizing patterns of exuberant creative fluidity.

Prison art

Clark found art to utilize his time in prison. His drawings would go far beyond the confined walls in his cell. “I have my own private galaxy out there, and it has nothing to do with you-all’s world". Clark was heavily known to include his personal experiences and cultural roots into his works. For example, it was known for him to include his dreams and visions into his drawings. Prison art was a popular form of artistic expression in contemporary American prisons, and therefore, traditions are handed down cellmate to cellmate. The exposure to materials in the confines of prison are slim. Soap carving is a common form of art, along with the usage of wrappers and recycled paper. Micheal Harms was known nationwide for his soap carvings and extensive tiny carvings. For Clark, his drawing and creating would be done on anything he could find, including manilla envelopes, prison forms and the backs of letters. His art received great attention from a prison art show then was soon receiving special recognition from the public after attending the show. After he was released on parole, in 1994, he opened a fast food stand called the Magnificent Burger, although he was arrested shortly after because of failure to report to his parole officer. He also practiced writing poetry alongside his drawing artworks which were often rare for the public eye and only addressed to important people in his life.