ARTIST STATEMENT

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ARTIST BIO

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EDUCATION

Clay Studio Philadelphia, PA

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INTERVIEW

Michael Clemmons, pictured here with one of his sculptures, finds that his aesthetic vision is integral to how he approaches all aspects of his life. By day, Michael Clemmons is associate coordinator of the Center for Social Policy and Community Development, where he helps bridge university and community interests through training programs and parenting classes. By night, Clemmons retreats to his private studio, where he commits to canvas the cultural continuum, as he puts it, is his experience as an African-American man. A painter and sculptor, he likes to experiment with symbols and color, working with various media to communicate the “epic memory” that inspires him. And, while his vocational and avocational worlds might seem polar opposites, Clemmons regularly sees the connections. “Art is not a separate entity that stands apart from everything else,” said Clemmons, a graduate of the University of the Arts, where he studied art and art education. “It may be abstract, but it affects what I do in a very real way.” Clemmons spends a lot of time in both worlds: he loves working with people, but sometimes spends up to 20 hours a week in his Spring Garden Street studio, where he has been creating artwork for 10 years. The studio is lined from wall to wall with canvases depicting solitary figures amid shimmering pastel fields that catch the light from the windows. “I’m intrigued by the play of light and the effects of time of day on finished pieces,” Clemmons said. “As the light shifts over the course of the day, the paintings seem to change.” In one corner, human figures, with faces suggesting repose, have been transformed into foot-tall vessels—his sculptures, which he creates at the Clay Studio on 2nd Street. “People are vessels,” he said, lifting a lid to show the empty “body” beneath the boldly sculpted head. “I’m interested in exploring metaphors and spirituality in my work. For instance, we talk about the Middle Passage as part of the African Diaspora, but this talks to me about our own passage through life.” He also incorporates cultural symbols into his work; the paintings contain adinkras, geometric symbols that represent proverbs, animals and objects from day-to-day life in West Africa. Clemmons hopes to find more opportunities to integrate his artistic endeavors with his people-person side in “cultural mentorships,” where his work with families at Temple gives him a chance to nurture young creative minds. “That’s something I want to do more of,” he said. “I’ve done after-school programs at Dunbar Elementary and worked with kids in a church in West Oak Lane, where I live. I’ve brought groups of students to my studio, and helped at the Mural Arts Center. “For me, it’s very important to have these kinds of formal and informal mentorships,” he continued. “Giving kids opportunities in art, painting, sculpture, dance—anything in the creative arena—serves as a cultural messenger and shows them one way to express creativity.” Clemmons has been branching out from his many local and regional exhibitions to recent showings in places like New York City and Puerto Rico. A lifelong Philadelphia resident, he thrives amid the Philadelphia art scene, which he finds supportive. “I’m clearly an urban person,” Clemmons said. “I enjoy being a part of the energy of an arts community and seeing what other creative people are doing.” —Helen H. Thompson * * *

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SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

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