Henry Ray Clark (1936 – July 29, 2006) was a folk artist born in Bartlett, Texas, and moved to Houston, where he became a criminal with the street name of "The Magnificent Pretty Boy".
In 1977, following a series of drug-dealing convictions, he was found guilty of assault (he shot at a man who tried to run off with Clark's gambling take) and sentenced under Texas' "Three Strikes" Law to 25 years in Huntsville State Prison.
Using ballpoint pens and salvaged manila envelopes, he created images of far-off galactic worlds inhabited by powerful beings.
After winning a prize in the "Texas Department of Corrections Art Show," he was exhibited in "Living Folk" at Hirschl & Adler Folk Gallery in New York in 1990; "Passionate Visions of the American South," New Orleans Museum of Art, 1993, and "Spirited Journeys: Self-Taught Texas Artists of the Twentieth Century," 1997.
Looking further into specific works from Clark, a well-known piece titled “I am The Day Star,” contains psychedelic patterns and shapes that complement his dreamlike style.
With patterns that hint towards his cultural roots and colors that accommodate dreamlike visions, this work captures the uniqueness that separates prison art from any other.
Another work that embodies these traits is titled “The Magnificent Pretty Boy.” This piece, along with “I am The Day Star” captures mesmerizing patterns of exuberant creative fluidity.
He also practiced writing poetry alongside his drawing artworks which were often rare for the public eye and only addressed to important people in his life.