Jared Clark’s choice of location for his outdoor art installation is unconventional. But, then again, so is he.
On most days, Clark can be found setting up his artistic creations along a stretch of Curtner Avenue in San Jose, right where it crosses a set of railroad tracks just east of Highway 87.
That means most people view Clark’s artistic creations at roughly 45 mph. Clark is fine with that.
“It's an experience. You're getting to experience something real quick as you go by it,” Clark said. “If you saw it, good on you. If you turned around and you wanted to take pictures of it, good on you.”
What Clark has spent years creating and now displaying are life-size suits of armor based on characters from a game called Warhammer 40,000. Clark uses recycled materials like large pieces of foam and five-gallon buckets he has foraged from dump sites.
“Just find some paint and get it going,” Clark said. “It’s a lot of zip ties, man. Lot of zip ties.”
The suits – for characters called space marines in the game – are not only impressive, but they are also functional. Clark can fit inside each one, bringing it to life. He will often spend hours standing on the bridge watching traffic go by, giving thumbs up to any who honk.
When he is finished, he does not have far to go to store his art. For the past few years, Clark has been living directly beneath that very bridge.
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He views his situation as more of a choice than a necessity.
“I do not want people to feel sorry for me. I love my life. I like what I'm doing,” Clark said. “Why would I have it any other way? I was able to chase my dream.”
Clark’s dream revolves around focusing on his art and bringing joy to others. While at one point he considered making money off his Warhammer suits, the longer he stood out on the sidewalk, the more he realized brightening someone’s day was payment enough.
“Now, when I started building them, I didn't know that I wanted to get a couple of honks. I wanted to get some smiles and some cheering or whatever, ‘Good job, man,’” Clark said. “I just wanted to be a positive force."
