Clairfoster Browne is somewhat of a mad scientist artist as he dabbles in everything from graffiti/live painting, to fine art, to general graphic design. His art career started with a Batman symbol. One of his 4th grade classmates drew one, and he looked at it and realized that if this other kid could reproduce an ass-kicking logo, so could he. And so he did. Over and over and over again.
One of his teachers noticed his constant drawing, and instead of punishing him decided to cultivate his talent. She arranged for him to take a tour of the Warner Brothers studio. He was introduced to their illustrators, one of whom gave him a stack of artist sketches. Clairfoster pored over the drawings and started emulating the designs, teaching himself form and function in his pen strokes, learning about perspective and depth. He refined his talents, and continues to do so as a graphic designer under his own company, Klerforest.
Everything about Clairfoster used to be fast. He rode his bike like the wind, he was the first to find humor in things, he painted like lightning. Then he had his son Samuel. Suddenly, the world looked a lot different. He slowed down and learned more about himself and began to take more risks in his work.
A picture is worth a thousand words, yet is hard to explain Clairfoster’s work in even a thousand images. He uses ancient motifs and symbols, as well as geometric designs, to create an urban aesthetic mapping his inner emotional state. He’s as committed today, as he was in 4th grade, to exploring his work in the world through diligence, experimentation, meditation and self examination. A picture of Clairfoster’s is like a glimpse into the soul of being. One man’s efforts to make sense of the ineffable.
