Alonzo Clemons facts for kids

Alonzo Clemons (born in 1958) is an amazing American artist and sculptor from Boulder, Colorado. He is known as a "savant" because he has a special talent for sculpting animals. Even though he had a serious brain injury as a child, he can create incredibly realistic and detailed animal sculptures just by looking at a picture for a few seconds.

Life Story

Alonzo Clemons was born in Boulder, Colorado, in 1958. He has lived there his whole life. When he was about three or four years old, Alonzo had a serious brain injury from a fall. This injury caused him to have a developmental disability. His thinking skills are like those of a six-year-old.

According to his mother, sculpting with clay was his only interest after the accident. The injury made it hard for him to speak clearly. He also could not read, write, drive, or tie his shoes. This meant he would always need help to live.

Even with these challenges, Alonzo learned to be quite independent. He lives in his own apartment and studio, close to his mother. He also improved his social skills. He worked part-time at the local YMCA. He also took part in Special Olympics events, especially in powerlifting.

Alonzo is called an "acquired savant." This means he gained a special talent after having a disability. His amazing talent is in sculpting. A researcher named Darold Treffert called Alonzo a "prodigy." A prodigy is someone with an extraordinary talent at a young age. Treffert said that if Alonzo didn't have his disability, he would be considered a genius.

His Artistry

Alonzo's talent for sculpting appeared soon after his injury. He started using clay. If he didn't have clay, he would use things like butter, lard, or even bitumen (a tar-like material). He mostly sculpted different animals, often using only his hands.

Like other savants, Alonzo never had any formal art training. He can sculpt any animal he sees. This includes animals he sees in person, on TV, or in a photo. He creates accurate, three-dimensional sculptures that look very real. These clay sculptures can then be made into other materials. Researchers think he can "freeze the frame" of what he sees. This means he can remember the exact image at any moment and then create it.

By 1987, Alonzo had made 500 clay sculptures. They filled his whole apartment! One of his art dealers said his skill grew as he spent more time around animals. Regular visits to the Denver Zoo and local farms helped him improve. They also helped him sculpt a wider variety of animals. Most of his artworks are small and take less than an hour to make. However, he has also created life-sized sculptures. His first big work was Three Frolicking Foals. It was sold for $45,000 in 1987. It only took him 15 days to make, even though he had to learn new techniques for it. Besides sculpting, he also enjoys pastel drawing.

In 1983, Alonzo first appeared on TV on the show 60 Minutes on CBS. In May of that same year, he had his first public art show. It was at an art gallery in Denver, Colorado. A sculpture of a bull was sold for $950 there. For many years, he worked on his art quietly. Then, the 1988 movie Rain Man made people more interested in savant syndrome. After that, Alonzo was featured in many international documentaries and TV shows. This led to more interest in his art. His sculptures were then shown in art galleries and museums around the world.

Alonzo cannot explain how he sculpts. He also doesn't know why his ability is mostly about animals. But he believes his talent is a "gift from God." He feels it's not something he can choose to do, but something he has to do. It's an inner feeling that helps him show how he sees the world. When people ask him how he does it, Alonzo just smiles and points to his head. His assistant says that working with clay is a very important part of who he is. Alonzo himself said he would be very sad if he couldn't sculpt.

See also

In Spanish: Alonzo Clemons para niños