Sculptor and artist in stained glass and mosaic, and teacher. He was born in Darley Dale, Derbyshire. Studied at Preston and Manchester Schools of Art, then served in Royal Air Force, 1943–7. Studied Royal College of Art, 1948–52. Went on to teach in Colchester and became head of the department of light transmission and projection at Royal College of Art, 1968–73. Had first solo show at Gimpel Fils, 1952, but worked substantially on commissions. Coventry, Chichester and Lincoln cathedrals all have work by Clarke, who also worked on Time-Life Building, 1952, and Thorn Electric Building, St Martin’s Lane, 1958. Clarke completed forged and welded sculptures, acquiring knowledge on a course at British Oxygen Company. Having heard about the discovery of casting from expanded-polystyrene models, Clarke produced the first free-standing aluminium scupture for the architect Sir Basil Spence’s house at Beaulieu; his technique was described in a pamphlet published by Shell Chemicals; and he went on to develop it in subsequent works.