Visual Language vol 3 no 11 Nov 2014 Sculptors Daren Wright - Douglas B Clark

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Visual Language

contemporary fine art

Deran Wright . Douglas Clark

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November 2014 Volume 3 No. 11

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Artist Spotlight Sculptors Deran Wright and Douglas Clark

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Cloud Canyon

http://dawnwatersbaker.com/

http://deranwright.com/

Sculptor Deran Wright

Minotaur

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Studio Visit Deran Wright

An Artistic Life

by Fred Schwartz

Deran Wright drew his first recognizable picture at age 3 on a building block (a bird). In elementary school he wrote and illustrated comic books which he sold to classmates. At age 15 he became a commercial illustrator, creating artwork for Texas magazines and newspapers. He has a letter from Stan Lee telling him to finish growing up before he applies for a job as an artist at Marvel.

When he was 12, he met a noted western painter/ sculptor, who after viewing the young artist’s ever present sketch pad, gifted him with a box containing a wooden sculptors tool and some ‘mysterious substance’.

5 years later, dissatisfied with commercial illustration, he opened the box and cast his first bronze sculpture in 1979, when he was just 18.

Deran can be elusive to track down for an interview.

To art shows, gallery openings, unveilings, the usual haunts for artists, he appears briefly, if at all. He and his wife, Geneva, are more likely to be found at live theater performances, history symposiums, or fine restaurants.

When I caught up with him recently, he was sketching the complicated knots adorning samurai armor in an exhibit at the Kimbell Art Museum. Knots, armor, and Oriental culture are only three of his many and varied interests.

Back in his atelier, when asked about his training, he replies, “self-taught”. But then I notice the shelves behind him groaning under the weight of a mas-

http://deranwright.com/

sive collection of books on sculpture. From primitive Oceania, African, Oriental, Classical, Baroque, Art Nouveau, Art Deco. Names like Cellini, Bernini, Gaudens, Rodin, Manship, and Noguchi are on the book jackets. The sculptor didn’t pursue a degree in art, because at the time the academic focus was on abstract and conceptual forms.

Drawn to classic figurative sculpture, Deran embarked instead on a rigorous combination of self study and on the job training. As a result, today he creates sculpture in a traditional style from a thoroughly modern perspective, and his work is in high demand.

A very reserved and quiet man, the sculptor can be difficult to draw out. At a recent unveiling, when handed a microphone, his speech consisted entirely of, “Thank you very much for coming. I had a lot of fun making this sculpture.”

But it soon became apparent that each and every sculpture has an interesting story behind it.

For instance there was the time one of his sculptures was unveiled by President George Bush in the Rose Garden at the White House. Oh, and George W. Bush was the keynote speaker at another of his unveilings. Or how he became a key witness in an international copyright dispute between the heirs of Pierre August Renoir, the French government and the heirs of Renoir’s personal assistant. After 35 years of sculpting full time, there are a lot of sculptures and a lot of stories.

Cat 3/4

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Studio Visit Deran Wright

Passages

Paul Smith

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Right: Laughing Nightwatch Gnome

To the Lowest Place

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Sculptor Douglas Clark DouglasBClark.com

http://www.douglasbclark.com/

Western Singer

http://www.douglasbclark.com/

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Studio Visit Douglas Clark

Douglas B. Clark is a sculptor and painter working in bronze and oil paints. He is a native of Fort Worth and a fourth generation Texan. He has loved drawing since early childhood, and was inspired by the paintings of his father as well as the works of Remington and Russell.

Doug has always had a great interest in the American West and the scenery and animals of the region.

Doug prefers to work from life and his own photography and field sketches. He can often be found sketching, painting, or sculpting at the Fort Worth Zoo and at the Fort Worth Stock Yards National Historic District as well as at annual events like the National Cutting Horse Association's Futurity and the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show. His work is also greatly influenced by his extensive travels across the western United States and Canada. It is his love of the West that fuels his creative spirit.

http://www.douglasbclark.com/

David Dike of David Dike Fine Art said, "Douglas Clark's bronze sculptures capture the character of the animals he depicts. Clark's inspiration is animals in their natural habitat; the animals exude both a peaceful and powerful spirit. His bronzes are beautifully crafted and are collected by both new and seasoned buyers."

His work may be seen in galleries across the southwestern United States including the Insight Gallery in Fredericksburg, David Dike Fine Art in Dallas, the White Buffalo in Glen Rose and the Acosta Strong Galleries in Santa Fe and Oklahoma City. His paintings and sculptures are in public, private, corporate, and university collections.

Texas Speedbump

Leading the Way- Old Blue 2

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DeranWright.com DouglasBClark.com