Art of the West digital magazine
Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/32473
Clark Hulings passed away February 2 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, at age 88. For more than 50 years, he thrilled art lovers with his renderings of the world as he saw it. T Clark’s paint- ings were so captivating that we featured him and his work in six issues of this maga- zine, the first time in 1989. We titled one of those articles “Transforming the Ordinary Into the Extraordinary.” And that, in a nutshell, is exactly what he did. In that article, which was published in the January/February 2007 issue, Clark said, “I get a big kick out of taking something most people would consider ugly or ordinary . . . and making something interesting and even finding beauty there.” From market scenes in Mexico and Europe to landscapes, portraits, and still life paintings, he shared with us the beauty of the world around us, capturing with great skill scenes and subjects we might have passed by without a second glance. Chickens in a barnyard became a beautifully composed symphony, while the bril- liant colors of a market or the play of light in a still life earned Clark a loyal following of collectors. he Western art world is stunned at the loss of yet another magnificent artist. ONE ON ONE By Vicki Stavig “If I were to claim a talent,” Clark told us, “I think it’s basically rec- ognizing what to paint. If you don’t get something interesting to paint, you’re doomed to failure before you even start.” Clark’s paintings often included donkeys, an animal for which he had a special affection that took root when he was a young boy living in Spain with his father, following his mother’s death. “No show of my work would be complete without a burro,” Clark said. “They have become my trademark.” Although he began painting when he was just 13, Clark went on to earn a degree in physics. While earning his living in that field, he continued to paint and, when his interest in his avocation overtook that of his voca- tion, he enrolled at the Art Students League in 1948 and studied there for three years. He then worked as an illustrator, creating book and record album covers and illustra- tions for men’s magazines. It was a good career, but it wasn’t enough for Clark. His dream, he said, was to become an easel painter, so he quit his job, went to Europe and spent three years studying in Florence and Dusseldorf. When his money ran out, Clark returned to New York and illustra- tion, but continued to paint and eventually was taken on by Grand Central Gallery. In 1966, he married Mary, and six years later the couple moved to Santa Fe, where Clark’s career took off. During the follow- ing years, he continued to travel—to exotic locations that included the Arctic Circle, Russia, Europe, Egypt, Romania, and Morocco—and to paint wherever he went. Barcelona Produce Still Life Clark always strived to improve his work, never satisfied with the status quo. And he could be quite hard on himself. Several years ago, while attending an art show to sup- port a local hospital, a friend dis- covered one of Clark’s paintings, a still life that the artist was appalled to come across. “It was so terrible that I bought it, and we went back to the house and burned it in the fire- place,” he said. During another interview, Clark said, “Thank heavens I’m not a per- forming artist; you can’t throw away a bad performance.” Although this terrifically talented “performer with paints” no longer is with us, his work lives on. In fact, The Forbes Galleries in New York City is hosting Clark Hulings: An American Master through June 18. The event is a tribute to Clark and his work and features 42 drawings and paintings that have never before been shown together publically. Clark has left us a wonderful leg- acy, and for that we are truly thank- ful. By sharing his visions of the world, he made that world a better place for us. Woodbearers of Chimayo 16 ART of the WEST • May/June 2011 Vicki Stavig is editor of Art of the West.