Jim Bowling: Inside Out

How do our inner narratives influence our outward expressions?

I became interested in the interiors of sculptural works early in my art-making journey. I began by creating pieces with forms emanating out from the main form. These primarily focused on the interiors, with the exteriors operating as “support forms” housing the internal forms. These sculptures centered on the exteriors, with the openings allowing the viewer to move through the form as well as around. In this series, “Inside Out,” I explore a more intimate connection between the interiors and exteriors of the sculptural forms. The narratives begin in the center, at the core of each piece. The exteriors are based on the same basic figurative shape, but surfaces are impacted and driven by internal narratives. In this way, I reflect on the impact of our personal narratives on our external expressions.

I later started to explore forms with openings existing as simple open spaces, allowing the viewer to engage both around and through the sculptures. These sculptures centered on the exteriors, with the openings that allowed the viewer to move through and around the form.

The narratives begin in the center, at the core of each piece. The exteriors are based on the same basic figurative shape, but surfaces are impacted and driven by internal narratives. In this way, I reflect on the impact of our personal narratives on our external expressions.

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 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.

ABout the Artist

Jim Bowling

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. 

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