The Surreal Life

After earning a national reputation for his in the art world, Clinton Deckert is returning to where it all began this month as he features his work at Paris in Plantsville.

Deckert’s art combines random abstract thoughts and surreal imagery to paint – both figuratively and literally – a picture for his audience. Painting most of his images by splashing paint on a canvas and blotting them with materials, Deckert then steps back and observes what develops as the paint runs, drips and blends into one another.

"I prefer to think of it as a painterly alchemy or conjuring of creative spirits," Deckert said. "The subtle implied are similar to the imagined objects that you may see in a clouded sky. I strive to create work that has a 'never seen that before' type of quality."

Deckert's unique work has won him national acclaim. He has been awarded an Individual Artist Fellowship Grant from the Greater Hartford Arts Council twice and set the record at the White Space Gallery in New Haven for their most successful solo exhibition.

He's exhibited at places like the Senator's Connecticut Office of the U.S. Senate, Steven's Gallery at UConn's campus in Storrs and was exhibited in "Brave Destiny," an Internatinoal Surrealist Exhibit at the Williamsburg Art and Historical Center in Brooklyn.

But of all his experiences thus far, Deckert said a recent visit from world-renown American art collector Jack Warner to his Southington home last month, topped it all.

Deckert now has multiple works represented in the Jack and Susan Austin Warner Collection in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

"For me, that was one of the greatest moments, to have Jack Warner and his wife in my studio," Deckert said. "Every artist dreams a famous collector comes to your house and buys your art, and that's pretty much what happened, it was great."

Deckert's love of creation sparked at a young age. The Massachusetts native and nearly life-long Southington resident remembers being a kid trying to build tree houses, design go-karts or just experimenting with wood piles in the backyard.

In young adulthood he joined a band, but soon traded his drumsticks for a paintbrush, enjoying the experience of creating a tangible work of art.

"It’s rewarding to produce a body of work and put it on display to share with others," Deckert said. "It’s also more practical for me to move a few canvases around instead of lugging a drum set and PA system around after a gig at 2:30 am."

He's been creating paintings for over 25 years now, raising a family and working out of a home studio. Admittedely never happy if he's not continually creating, his goals are to experiment more, take more risks, and continue to be true to himself.

"If I paint for myself first and if the viewers enjoy the end result, then the work is successful. If not, at least it is true art," Deckert said. "I need to create something, to keep busy, to utilize my time making stuff.  Life is short and I only have so much time to create stuff that I hope will outlast me."

In the present moment, however, his contemporaries and fellows artists at Paris in Plantsville said they are thrilled about exhibiting an artists they simply call, "a big deal."

"Clinton (Deckert) has been a big supporter of us since we started, and we were obviously very happy to have him here-he's a national and internationally known artist," representative Jon Bristol said. "We opened his gallery on Saturday, and already we've had a huge response, it's going really well."

Deckert's gallery is being exhibited until Oct. 8 with an opening reception open to the public on Oct. 1 from 7 - 10 p.m.

See more of Clinton's work by clicking the link to his website.