DSU Arts Center/Gallery Exhibits Clark Fox’s Iconic Pop Art

The Delaware State University Arts Center/ Gallery will host an exhibit and other related events by renowned political pop artist Clark Fox that will all be in connection with a show of his works entitled “Typology”, which highlights some of his early paintings.

The exhibit will be displayed at the Arts Center/Gallery from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 6 to Wednesday, Nov. 16. A Meet the Artist opening reception will be held from 5-6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6 in the Arts Center/ Gallery. The reception and ongoing exhibition are free and open to the public.

The DSU exhibition is taking place in conjunction with a longer Clark Fox exhibition at the Biggs Museum of Art, 406 Federal St. in Dover. That exhibition, entitled “Icon Chains,” will begin at the Biggs Museum with an opening reception on Friday, Oct. 7 and will continue on display until Jan. 22.

A Gallery Tour will take place at the DSU Arts Center/Gallery at 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27. Mr. Fox will give a presentation and then a walking tour of the works being featured at the Arts Center/Gallery.

Finally there will be a panel discussion in connection with the exhibition, entitled “The Politics of Art… The Art of Politics” at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 3 in Parlor A of the MLK Jr. Student Center. Mr. Fox will be joined by three other DSU professors in a panel discussion that will focus on the role of contemporary artists within the social protest movements.

A Native American from Texas, Mr. Clark is known as the “Godfather of Underground Art,” through his advocacy of street art in the mid ‘70’s and collaborated in Washington, D.C. with iconic artists such as Ron English, Shepard Fairey, Daniel Johnston, Big Al Carter and others.

His iconic imagery combines to convey a rich take on reality, the state of the world, our country, as well as his own unusual psychic identity and nature.  His works belong to more than 35 museum collections including the Corcoran Gallery, National Gallery of Art, Metropolitan, Katzen, Phillips Collection, Vogel Collection, Philadelphia Museum, and Smithsonian American Art Museum. His signature portraits of George Washington now appear in a book published by the

Smithsonian Press called Handmade Holiday Cards from 20th Century Artists and has established a reputation of assisting other artists to show their exhibits to the world.

“Typology” represents Fox’s first major successes within the American art world, which were largely architectural works from 1967 through the early-1980s.

“Everything (concerning my works) has to do with humanism,” Mr. Fox said. “They are about social politics and everything is connected with a story.”

Such as his painting of the “Mr. Peanut” mascot – the long time logo of the Planters peanut snack food. He notes that “Mr. Peanut” represent capitalistic branding to make the snack attractive to more than the lower classes.

“Planters branded it to be cocktail peanuts and the logo was dressed up with a top hat to make it a snack food of the bourgeoisie,” Mr. Fox said.

Although largely self-taught, Mr. Fox earned his undergraduate degree at Pratt Institute and Corcoran School of the Arts. He later opened a non-profit exhibition gallery in nation’s capital called the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA DC), where he helped up and coming artists exhibit their work.