MATT CLARK – DIAMOND VALLEY, UT
“Burden”
Metal and found objects
9’ X 6’ X 4.6’
$35,000
One of the foundational elements of life is suffering. I created this sculpture to communicate that suffering, yet the figure is strong and will navigate the challenges. I changed the color to black.
Dixie Express
Inquire about this piece
The small town in which I grew up had a tradition that early in the morning on Independence Day and the 24th of July, a live band would travel around town to kick off the celebration. My intent was to capture these memories in a whimsical, steam-punk style.
Meet the Artist
As a child and teenager, Matt Clark dreamed of becoming a world-champion cowboy. But at age 17, he experienced a serious spinal cord injury. After more than two months in the ICU and six months in spinal rehab, the doctors dismissed him to a rest home and gave him three years to live. Medicine offered no hope for a future. But something deep within him said that he would define his life, not the doctors. Thirty-five years later, he still works from a wheelchair. His physical limitations have required him to create his own tools and processes for doing things. But his accident has also given him the opportunity to recreate himself and his world. The metal objects Matt uses in his art were originally created to perform a specific function. At some point, they outlived their usefulness, were broken, and lost their value. He searches for each piece’s innate power and then resurrects it and gives it a new reason to be. For Matt, the transformation of these objects is symbolic of his own journey—of ultimately transcending broken dreams and heartache.
Website: mattclarksculpture.com
Previous Entries
Steampunk Bell
A gear from a wheat-threshing machine that was more than 100 years old was the inspiration to create this steampunk-style bell. Growing up on a cattle ranch and farm, I was always intrigued with the machines that were used to harvest the crops. I had a lot of fun incorporating these old parts into this sculpture.
Desert Rat
Cacti
“Cacti” is 40 inches tall and 19 inches wide. It was created from quarter-inch steel and found metal objects. The steel was cut and then shaped on a hydraulic press. I was inspired to create this piece after studying Julio Gonzalez, who is known as the father of welded steel sculpture. He also taught Picasso, who welded 30 to 40 steel sculptures of his own.
