John Clark- His Art Tells A Story

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Sometimes I surf the Internet looking for some great works of art that catch my eye.  One afternoon I happened upon an Etsy storefront selling these beautifully drawn women, in black and white ink, laid over old books.  I thought how interesting and fresh, I knew right then and there that John Clark would be worth interviewing for this magazine.  His work shows that art can be anything that inspires you, there are no limits to this vast field of expressionism. 

I love your work, its so unique with your paper.  What made you decide to use books and the print type?  How did that all come about?

I was reading an old mystery novel one day and became really inspired by the wording and imagery.  I started doodling directly on the page, trying to discover a style that would properly convey the drama and
feeling of noir.  I dabbled with heavy cross hatch, then a bit of stipple but settled on something resembling stencil graffiti. Actually, people often ask if I use stencils in my work,  I don’t.  I focus on creating high contrast and try to avoid unnecessary line work.  My work is drawn on pages from books printed in the 20s, the old paper soaks up the ink just right.

I see mostly women in your collection, do you draw men too?  What inspires you to draw women.

I’ve drawn men for custom requests but I’ll never draw one for fun.  I try to create art that is both aesthetically pleasing and compelling and I just find the subject of strong, assured, and certainly deadly
women to be my favorite.

When did you learn to draw?  Did you ever take formal lessons?

I’ve drawn pretty obsessively since I can remember.  When I was little I drew with my parents nearly every day and they’ve always been supportive.   I’ve taken a few classes at a local art institute when I was younger and had one inspirational art teacher in high school.

What artists, cartoonists, etc….. inspired you as an artist to draw if any?

Comic books where my biggest inspiration for a long time.  Still the idea of conveying a story with art remains in my work.  I think the only comic artist that still directly influences my work now is Frank
Miller.

Do you have any of your pictures on display anywhere but Etsy?

There’s a few random boutiques and galleries that stock my prints but my main distribution channel is Etsy.

What is your favorite piece and why?  What makes it so special to you?

It changes every couple of weeks but the piece “Spare me,”http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14281729 pretty much nails it for me.  The look, the lighting and feeling of it fit just right for me.  She’s on her way out the door and  nothing you say will stop that.

It’s always nice to hear that I’ve surprised someone with my work, that it’s nothing like anything they’ve ever seen before.   Other people see my work and are unimpressed.  I’m okay with either
reaction.  Art is completely subjective and I firmly believe in the saying, different strokes for different folks.  I just love that at least some people dig it.

When you draw, what do you think about?

My attention span is admittedly low so I am often multi-tasking.  At the very least I’ll be focused on music I’m listening to or even watching a movie while I draw.

Define your view of an artist, referencing yourself, what do you want people to get from your work?

I hope the viewer can find both beauty and intrigue in my work.  I want to convey part of the story but leave the rest to interpretation.

Any advice you can lend to other artists?

Stay true to creating what you love, ignore trends and focus on what makes you happy.