“Vita brevis, ars longa,” says Robert “Bob” Clements. “Life is short, but art is long.”
It’s a motto at Ball State University, where he once taught, and his final phrase during a recent interview.
Clements, 87, has been a venerable fixture in the local art scene for over 50 years. This Sunday, 30 paintings from the past 15 years go on display at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, capturing Southern landscapes. An opening reception takes place May 11, 12–2 p.m., and the works are on view through June 22.
A Pittsburgh transplant, Clements moved to Athens in 1969 and taught art education at UGA’s Lamar Dodd School of Art for 25 years, earning top honors for teaching and research. His work has been shown in major museums and corporate collections, and he’s authored three books.
Clements’ wife, Claire, is also an award-winning artist and founded the Athens Area Plein Air Artists in 1994. The couple’s art-filled home, built in 1972, was often described as a “hobbit-hole” or “lunchbox.” Their son Cal is also a multidisciplinary artist. Flagpole sat down with the local legend to discuss the upcoming exhibition and a lifetime commitment to art.
Flagpole: How did you first get involved in art?
Bob Clements: My first recollection is a story my mother, who was a first grade teacher, told me. I drew a row of ducks at two years old, and she thought that I had an unusual ability for a child at that age. She said, “Bobby will be an artist,” and that was a narrative she gave me from then on. I always loved art shows, and I had a competitiveness to me—I entered art shows in high school every chance I could.
FP: What are some of the art projects you’ve been involved in?
BC: I did a public art project of sculptures outside the Athens-Clarke County Library and at Argo Apartments on South Milledge Avenue. Another big project was in Atlanta at the Indian Creek MARTA Station as part of MARTA’s Art Program called “Dancing at Indian Creek” in 1993. I’ve also shown my artwork in a lot of exhibitions—Lyndon House Arts Center, Winterville Cultural Center and so many more.
FP: Can you tell me about the Athens Area Plein Air Artists group?
BC: Athens Area Plein Air Artists, a self-guided group that meets monthly to create art outdoors in various media, has been going on for 30 years. My wife, Claire, founded it in 1994, and now Kim Kennedy is the organizer. It’s free and does not involve any teachers or dues. It’s very exciting to go out painting with a group of artists, because they all stimulate each other to make attractive things. Claire started the Plein Air Group shortly after she retired from the University of Georgia, where she was an associate professor of art.
FP: How did you and your wife meet?
BC: We’ve been married for 60 happy years. We met at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where we were both art students. I had just come back from Christmas break, and I had two season tickets to the symphony. I’ve always loved classical music, and I had to find someone to sit with me, and that was Claire.
FP: How has your art evolved over time?
BC: There was a period of creating more political, controversial and tragic events—one, titled “The Slave Ship,” was accepted into the Smithsonian American Art Museum—that pointed to key moments in time. But, people tend to prefer landscapes to controversial topics. It’s been nice to do beautiful paintings outside with talented people like in Athens Area Plein Air.
FP: Which artists have influenced you?
BC: My friend Leonard Piha—a prolific local artist who creates whimsy bottles, a form of folk art consisting of small handmade sculptures built inside clear glass bottles—has been an inspiration to me. So has Lawrence Stueck, who was one of my doctoral students. He’s created more than 60 playscapes for children and is very, very creative. Frank Wachowiak, who preceded me in the art education department at UGA, was also a big influence. I took over his book “Emphasis Art: A Qualitative Art Program for Elementary and Middle Schools” when he became unable to do so, and I’m proud that I got to continue his legacy.
FP: Having been part of the Athens art scene for over 50 years, how have you seen it change?
BC: I moved to Athens in 1969. The Lamar Dodd Art School had expanded the art department, and we had about seven art education professors. At the time UGA had the biggest art department in the nation with about 60 professors. There was also a time when folk artists became more celebrated, and I became friends with Harold Rittenberry—we’ve done a lot of collaborations together.
FP: Can you tell me about the upcoming art show?
BC: Thirty paintings total will be on view, all acrylic. Of the paintings, one includes Claire and I walking in a meadow of Queen Anne’s lace off Barnett Shoals Road, which is one of my favorites. I’ve regularly gone up to Southeast Clarke Park to paint the Queen Anne’s lace that blooms in the springtime—it’s probably blooming right now. All the paintings were done over the last 15 years, and many are influenced by Hokusai, one of my favorite artists, composition-wise: zig-zags going back into deep space.
FP: What achievement are you most proud of in your career as an artist?
BC: I taught art appreciation at the university for 25 years, and I’m proud to have a legacy of helping young people to appreciate art. I also always tried to encourage other artists in the community.
FP: What advice would you give to young artists starting out?
BC: Just follow your heart.
WHO: Bob Clements Exhibition
WHEN: Sunday, May 11, 12–2 p.m.
WHERE: State Botanical Garden of Georgia
HOW MUCH: FREE!
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