Artist Statement
The works I create can be described as semi-surreal oddities pulled from a lucid dream. Each piece is a personal response to the increasing unpredictability and precariousness of life, filtered through a youthful imagination that somehow manages to survive. By contrasting the fantastical with stark reality, this clash of opposites results in absurd, impractical, and ambiguous creations that are simultaneously playful and cynical. Despite the dark and sarcastic tones expressed, the works ultimately aim to convey resilience. Each piece illustrates an effort to adapt, survive, and even thrive despite adverse conditions.
Though some of the pieces appear to be found objects, most components are fabricated by hand. The materials used to create these peculiar creations are rarely what they resemble. Ceramic, wood, and plastics are disguised with paint to appear worn and weathered, contributing to their illusory nature. These fictitious industrial finishes reflect reality's impact and exposure's effects over time.
Curriculum Vitae
2025 Wild at Heart and Weird on Top, The Lab on Santa Fe, Denver, CO.
2025 Texas National Competition and Exhibition 2024, Cole Art Center, Nacogdoches, TX.
2025 Solo Exhibition, Some Things Askew, Cole Art Center, Nacodoches, TX.
2025 CAL International 2025, 127 Simonton St., Conroe, TX.
2025 True North 2025, 900 Block Heights Blvd., Houston, TX.
2024 41st Visual Arts Alliance Juried Exhibition, Reeves Art + Design, Houston, TX.
2024 Fall Art Show 2024, Shanley House Gallery, Granbury, TX.
2024 Fresh Ideas 2024, Lewisville Grand Theater Main Art Gallery, Lewisville, TX.
2024 40th Visual Arts Alliance Juried Exhibition, Redbud Art Center, Houston, TX.
2024 20th Annual Sculpture Garden Exhibition, Kemp Center for the Arts, Wichita Falls, TX.
2024 Texas National Competition and Exhibition 2024, Cole Art Center, Nacogdoches, TX.
2023 Jacks of All Trades Installation Exhibition, Turner Fabrication, Nacogdoches, TX.
2023 Believe Exhibition and Publication 2023, Online.
2023 San Angelo State University Graduate Ceramic Juried Exhibition 2023, San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, San Angelo, TX.
2023 Artistonish Magazine Issue 30, March 2023.
2023 Inspirations Exhibition and Promotion 2023, Online.
2023 Life and Death Exhibition and Promotion 2023, Online.
2016 Solo Exhibition, Bosque Gallery, Cypress, Tx
Awards and Scholarships
2025 Carolyn and Richard Skurla Scholarship
2024 First Place - 40th Visual Arts Alliance Juried Exhibition, Redbud Art Center, Houston, TX.
2024 First Place - 20th Annual Sculpture Garden Exhibition, Kemp Center for the Arts, Wichita Falls, TX.
2024 First Place - Texas National Competition and Exhibition 2024, Cole Art Center, Nacogdoches, TX.
2024 Lumberjack Grant
2024 Patricia Roberdeau Mast Scholarship
2023 Honorable Mention - International Sculpture Center Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture 2023
2023 Micky Elliot COFA Scholarship
Bio
Dave Clark is a Houston based sculptor who creates dystopian objects from his own dreamlike landscape. Drawing from his own experiences as a fine artist and as a former professional artist for the entertainment industry, he creates unusual combinations of elements as though cobbled together in the aftermath of destruction. The works are often made from materials that are disguised through paint to make them believably realistic while maintaining a surreal aura.
He received his BFA from Oklahoma State University and returned to his hometown in Southern California where he began his career as an artist in the entertainment field. After over twenty years working in that industry, Clark returned to school and received his teaching certification. He has been creating his own artwork and teaching sculpture for the last fifteen years.