A sculptor at heart, Clark Derbes’ “cut outs” are direct representations of imagined three-dimensional forms. These forms are first drawn and painted with ink and acrylic gouache on three quarters inch thick plywood. The spatial perspectives are done freehand, without the use of a ruler or vanishing points. The outer contour of the visual form is then cut- out from its perceived negative space. Removed from any background, the pieces are ready for placement in their environment. The “cut-outs” float off of the wall by use of a hanging device engineered by the artist. The device allows the piece to be rotated on the wall to the position of preference.
Clark Derbes was born in New Orleans in 1978. When he was in third grade, his family moved to Baton Rouge. There he filled a childhood with twin obsessive pursuits: drawing and skateboarding. He earned a BFA at Louisiana State University, where, he says, the best thing his instructors did was believe in him - and give him a studio. Derbes currently lives and works in Burlington, Vt. |
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