BIOGRAPHY

Jim Bowling is a sculptor from Columbus, Ohio, and a Professor of Art at Otterbein University. He earned a BS from The Ohio State University and an MFA in ceramics from Kent State University.

As a contemporary ceramic sculptor, Jim is rooted in the material and craft traditions of clay, using these techniques to explore concepts related to the construction of personal identity from disparate life experiences. He often uses spiritual, sexual, and political themes, peppered with a slightly twisted sense of humor, to explore identity through the male form. Jim creates unexpected textures and surface patterns to underscore and express the narratives of each work. He is inspired by the ceramic artists of the California Funk Art movement, and Surrealist ideology.

Jim’s works have been exhibited nationally, and internationally, and are in several private collections including the Massillon Museum in Massillon, OH and Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, TX.

Artist’s Statement

As a figurative sculptor working in clay, I use the male form to create narratives ranging from socio-political themes to expressions of desire and sexuality. I also use the figure to explore my personal narratives and the contentious relationship LGBTQI+ people sometimes have with their bodies. I often move back and forth between very stylized figures and figures that are more representational, depending on the ideas I explore.

I am inspired by both the California Funk Art movement and Surrealism. Objects that exhibit wear and decay inspire my surfaces, implying a sense of “experience.” I often complement these surfaces with bright colors and patterns to imply chaos and order coexisting in a “yin yang” relationship.

In my current body of work, I am exploring interior spaces of the forms and their relationship to the exteriors as a metaphor for external expressions of inner lives.

Website: www.jubowling.com

IG: @jimubowling