Kelly Clark: A Catalogue of the Artist's Work

Patricia Morley is professor emerita of English and Canadian Studies at
Concordia University and an avid outdoor recreationist. She is also the
author of The Mountain Is Moving: Japanese Women’s Lives, Kurlek, and
Margaret Laurence: The Long Journey Hom

Winnipeg-born Kelly Clark (1935–1995), painter and folksinger, was a
prominent part of the Winnipeg art scene for many years. Alcoholic, with
a self-destructive streak, Clark died of cancer, sick and living on
welfare. This impressive collection of works in many media—including
ink, pastels, color lithograph, watercolor, and conté on paper—shows
that Clark deserved to be much better known than he was during his
lifetime.

The color reproductions featured in this thin, large-format paperback
reflect a remarkably diverse range of subjects and impressionistic
techniques. Works such as The Funeral and Showtime exhibit a bizarre and
morbid streak reminiscent of Edvard Munch’s The Scream. Other works
are tender, erotic, and/or humorous. A few impressive prairie big-sky
landscapes, such as Untitled (PRAIRIE DIPTYCH, c. 1985), suggest what
fine work Clark could accomplish in this genre.

The short but effective text consists of critical essays by fellow
artists and curators Donalda Johnson, George Swinton, and Arthur
Adamson. Swinton, Clark’s friend and teacher, calls him a
“Renaissance man” with a wide range of subjects and techniques and a
respect for tradition. He sees in Clark’s graphite drawings
“yearnings, regrets and lost dreams ... with a humour and optimism for
what is yet to be accomplished.” Kelly Clark is a significant record
of achievement and unfulfilled potential.