As a toddler, Clemons suffered a head injury in an accident; this changed the way he thinks, learns and communicates. While much was lost due to the injury, something miraculous also occurred, for as Clemons sometimes puts it, “God gave a gift.” He began showing a fascination with modeling materials and a tremendous inner drive to make sculpture. Even in situations where he did not have access to modeling clay, his determination to make models of animals was so great that he found materials in his environment that he could use for sculpting.
For over twenty years he continued to practice his art in obscurity until the early 1980’s, when the movie Rain Man, which featured Dustin Hoffman in the role of a disabled man with remarkable skills of memory, brought international media attention to a phenomenon known as the Savant Syndrome. Savant Syndrome is a descriptive term applied to individuals who have both a developmental disability and a spectacular, genius-level skill in a specific area. Clemons is recognized as one of the world’s prodigious savants and has been featured on programs such as 60 Minutes, Geraldo, and the Discovery Channel’s World of Wonder. This media exposure gave him the opportunity to gain worldwide recognition for his art. From his youth, Clemons had not only the genius for his art, but has shown an inner vision to become successful with it, and those dreams are truly continuing to unfold in his life.
His personal successes extend beyond his art, for he has a rich and active lifestyle in his community of Boulder, Colorado. He lives in his own home with some assistance, and works part time on jobs in the community, in addition to doing his work as a sculptor. Seeking to inspire children’s creativity, he demonstrates his sculpting at schools in the area. Interests include power lifting, in which he competed at the Special Olympics for several years. His radiant personality touches all who know him.
