Clark Derbes salvages large hardwood trunks from arborists in the Vermont area surrounding his studio, carving these trunks with a chainsaw, honing them into raw shapes and meticulously painting them with a variety of complex visual systems, patterns and patina processes to make dimensional sculpture in a variety of sizes.

Clark Derbes also makes paintings, particularly focusing on the landscape which he often explores with acrylic and oils “en plein air,” as well as works on paper and large public installations. Known primarily for his dynamic, polychrome wooden sculptures, Derbes now offers a fresh perspective with a selection of new oil on wood landscape paintings in “Eternal Harvest,” on view through November 2024. His vibrant colors and bold forms bring a playful yet meditative energy to the exhibition, bridging the gap between traditional landscape painting and contemporary art.

Derbes was born in New Orleans, LA in 1978 and raised in Baton Rouge where he remains closely tied to the community and where several of his large scale commissioned projects can be seen. He also makes large ‘self-commissioned’ public works designed to keep fluid the dialogue between free art and the material culture found in museums and other institutions.

Derbes earned a BFA at Louisiana State University and exhibits extensively throughout the US. He has made his home in Vermont since 2002.