Startups

When UX designer Steve Cleff hears sounds, he sees colors

The artist has a condition called “synesthesia.” We talked to Cleff, the Archer Group's UX director by day, about his career in art and how his condition plays a role in his artistic style.

Note the violet and turquoise. (Image courtesy of Steve Cleff)

Ever since he took to drawing at age three, Archer Group UX director Steve Cleff had always wanted to be an artist. After receiving a degree in fine arts from Syracuse University, Cleff believed he was all set to pursue a professional career in illustration.
Not long after graduating from college, though, Cleff bumped into the owner of multimedia company Visitor Communication Technologies outside of a bar. He was offered a job. He accepted.
That was 20 years ago. Yet, even though Cleff made the decision not to pursue art as a full-time career, he’s always kept up with his passion.
“For many years, I just painted because it was something that I needed to do,” said Cleff, who, in 2008, painted a new piece every week “just to see if [he] could.” Then, before the birth of his son in 2009, Cleff was feeling pangs of guilt.
“I thought it would teach him the wrong lesson if it looked like I gave up or never tried to do anything with my art,” Cleff said. “I put together a portfolio, found a gallery and got a gallery show together. I’ve been showing pretty regularly ever since.”

A sampling of Cleff's art.

A sampling of Cleff’s art. (Courtesy image)


Vividness of color is a common theme in Cleff’s work — and for good reason. Cleff has a condition called “synesthesia” that has a significant effect on his artwork.
“When I hear sounds I see colors in my mind,” he said. “In my mind the regular world looks pretty bland because there’s so many beiges and browns and grays. Depending on what I’m listening to, it’s bright, saturated colors.”
Cleff said often times, he’ll use turquoise and violet in his work because those are the colors that come to mind when he thinks of the concepts of serenity and vitality. Essentially, Cleff is painting what he sees in his mind’s eye.
Vivid colors are commonplace in Cleff’s work — and, as you might have noticed, women. Lots and lots of women.
“I grew up with a bunch of tough guys and always was challenged to win fights, be strong, suppress emotions and never show any type of weakness,” Cleff said. “If you generalize, the female approach to things is really about developing relationships and communities. I’m trying to get in touch with that.”

Cleff believes people are inevitably barred from personal growth if they only allow themselves to perceive any experience through the lens of a single gender. By painting women, Cleff said he is one step closer to finding enlightenment.
“That’s the muse I’ve been chasing, trying to understand things from a point of view I don’t necessarily understand because I’m a guy,” he said. “I’m trying to understand that other point of view.”
Cleff said the next piece he’ll have up will be in September, at tattoo shop and art gallery Gristle in Brooklyn. Check out more of Cleff’s work on his site, Fluid Beauty.

Companies: Archer Group

Before you go...

Please consider supporting Technical.ly to keep our independent journalism strong. Unlike most business-focused media outlets, we don’t have a paywall. Instead, we count on your personal and organizational support.

3 ways to support our work:
  • Contribute to the Journalism Fund. Charitable giving ensures our information remains free and accessible for residents to discover workforce programs and entrepreneurship pathways. This includes philanthropic grants and individual tax-deductible donations from readers like you.
  • Use our Preferred Partners. Our directory of vetted providers offers high-quality recommendations for services our readers need, and each referral supports our journalism.
  • Use our services. If you need entrepreneurs and tech leaders to buy your services, are seeking technologists to hire or want more professionals to know about your ecosystem, Technical.ly has the biggest and most engaged audience in the mid-Atlantic. We help companies tell their stories and answer big questions to meet and serve our community.
The journalism fund Preferred partners Our services
Engagement

Join our growing Slack community

Join 5,000 tech professionals and entrepreneurs in our community Slack today!

Trending

Meet Delaware’s winners in the 2024 Technical.ly Awards

This Week in Jobs: Fill your plate with these 26 tech career opportunities

How 5 orgs help local businesses achieve success

Technical.ly’s 2024 gift guide for Delaware

Technically Media