Title: Desire
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Dated and Signed: 23 Nov 1975
Framed: 120cm x 74cm
In 1973 Peter Clarke’s family was forcefully removed from Simons Town where he lived for 45 years to Oceanview a township quite far removed from the beautiful harbor town overlooking False Bay. This move was very traumatic for him and his family and as a result Clarke produced almost no artworks between 1973 and 1974 (Hobbs & Rankin 2011:131). At the end of 1974 Clarke made the announcement that he desired to go to America which seemed impossible at the time.
This dream to travel to America was sparked by the exhibition titled, Soul Motion III, organized by David Driskell from Fisk University in Nashville Tennessee, that showed 30 of his artworks matched with 30 short poems in an accompanying catalogue between December 1973 and January 1974.
In 1975 this dream became reality when Clarke was nominated by Telkins for the International Writing Program (IWP) based at the University of Iowa. He was given a comprehensive grant that covered all his living expenses, leaving a daily surplus he could use for traveling. This change in living conditions and freedom from the Apartheid laws proved to be just what he needed (Hobbs & Rankin 2011:135).
