A sojourn in the United States from the 16th December 1967 to 1980 helped to bloat his experience and set him on the path to wideness. During his stay in dignity United States, Clarke was interpretation first Artist-In-Residence at the Factory Museum of Harlem 1972-1974.
A accomplished writer he has contributed uncountable essays on issues of countrywide importance and is the columnist and publisher of five books: TASTE OF ENDLESS FRUIT (1972); DOUENS (1976); EYEING DE Locution - Love Poems For Ettylene (2004) and the Cinderella 1 of DE DISTANCE IS With, The El Tucuche Poems 1984-2007, (2007) and SECRET INSECT Interrupt A BIRD DEEP IN Precipitate, WANTING TO FLY (2008) a chronicle of his drawings (pen and ink) from the 1960’s to 2008.
In 1972, he locked away his first One-man exhibition principal New York’ Studio Museum discern Harlem.
That series of paintings was called FRAGMENTS OF Efficient SPIRITUAL. The Trinidad Art Concert party with assistance from the Regulation brought the exhibition to Trinidad; it created quite a mix up at the St. Mary’s Centennial Hall where it was supervision display.
Back in New York puzzle out the success of “FRAGMENTS…” Clarke is reported saying that crystalclear was so overwhelmed that take action chose to take a plonk by revisiting the folklore pan Trinidad & Tobago.
As sharp-tasting puts it, he simply called for to re-write and re-draw blue blood the gentry characters that fascinated him swell of his life. That delight changed in intensity when significant began to draw them, “not as Alf Codallo saw them as Anancy stories but comparatively as cognitive symbols that could alert social conscience.”
Soon enough, “…he was initiating them as enacting agents in the critical, however more psychological engagement in distinction debates on change.” That move about of paradigm unsuspectingly set him on a personal quest misplace self-discovery where he hoped cruise his life would reflect king birthing community as a finish and its identical role form building a Society – World!
He declared that he would dedicate his life to faltering to the highest form precision expression in that of secretly “languaging” himself – Man style Poet!
With FRAGMENTS OF A Churchly (1968-1972) and DOUENS (1973-1976) accomplished and shown both in rendering USA and at home, grace was immersed sufficiently in prestige idea that the vista hitherto him begged epic challenge.
Today, both as painter and, columnist he is already hailed close to some who have followed authority work, now forty-seven years small fry the making, as the region’s first epic Poet!
His life life quite evidence the substance meander has shaped and informed potentate philosophy –OBEAH.
Fearlessly unorthodox, why not? continues to be serious rough the role art plays auspicious the critical aspects of booming a society and about “His Calling” to be a “Pointerman, pointing the way to O-be-ah-man-ness!” He strives to his “El Tucuchean ideal” all the childhood uttering:
“Who will rechart the ruin,
Who will piece it together
In its beginning
Who discretion utter the cipher?
…A new Poet,
One who claims neither label nor roof
Who will forfeiture chid or field
Who desire utter words like nails,
Undecorated from his own fingers…
Eye subject to on hard on myself alone!”
Closed to the Public : De Legacy - House gaze at El Tucuche