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David S. Bogus: Creative Identity NCECA 2015
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My creative process is cultivated through identity exploration and self-discovery. My

practice is a combination of risk taking and experimentation. It includes both the artistic process

and a constantly shifting personal narrative. In the studio, critical thinking and problem solving

are directly linked to the exploration of individuality. Places inhabited, people encountered, and

investigations of materials and process influence content, giving form to the concepts of my

creative identity. My artwork explores personal history, nostalgia, and cultural implications

within an impulsive narrative.

“The Optimist Luggage” initially employed suitcases as a symbol for my nomadic

lifestyle. As time passed, the suitcases came to symbolize the baggage I carry internally from

difficult life experiences. Utilizing design principles and color theory, the suitcases have a

superficially attractive exterior, while the interior contents have purposely been obscured.

Investigating patterns from fashion design led to decal and screen-printing experiments.

My most recent work involves casting cigarette lighters, symbolizing my struggle with

nicotine addiction. Initially, I utilized them as the test pieces for screen-printing transfers and

decals. While working with them, it occurred to me to display these in plastic bags, similar to a

detective who collects and organizes evidence as clues to a case. The results of these experiments

add depth to other installations. These graphic surfaces add a layer of complexity paralleling my

changing identity.

The history of place is a source of content and motivation behind my discovery of

ceramics. I was raised in Somerset, Massachusetts and this has profoundly affected my identity.

Some of my ancestors were Azorean. After abandoning the whaling fishery they were attracted

to the thriving textile industry of neighboring Fall River.1 Historically, Somerset produced both

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26 19 SAN ISIDRO PKWY 104 LAREDO TX 78045
DSBOGUS@GMAIL.COM
956-508-2441
WWW.DAVIDBOGUS.COM
 
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David S. Bogus: Creative Identity NCECA 2015
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pottery and maritime equipment including anchors and other large forgings.2 Local tradition

states that pottery was manufactured there from 1705. 3 Consequently, ceramics was a

predominant fixture in the local culture.

I was fortunate to receive a comprehensive ceramics education at Somerset High School

under an inspiring educator and potter, David Robinson. As a teenager, ceramics intrigued me.

Combining math, chemistry, history, writing, and creativity with the physicality of a hands-on,

real world experience was exciting and captivating. Emerging adulthood is a period for

exploration of identity aspects including occupational identity, and creative activity may

contribute to or result from this exploration. 4 My passion for the ceramic arts flourished.

Personal history is reflected in my work by incorporating place of origin imagery.

“Menemsha” and “Dependent Attachments” use nautical symbols related to my past and

present. Menemsha is a small fishing village located on Martha’s Vineyard. As a young man, I

would depart from this port to go fishing and recently it has become a place to return to on

special occasions. The materials and imagery are derived from earlier work but also connect to

this location. In a similar manner “Dependent Attachments” utilizes anchors as a symbol derived

from personal history, as well as representing the concept of being attached and weighed down.

While making this piece, stacks of bisqued anchors lined the studio shelves and began to

intrigue me. I started glaze firing the stacks of anchors together. Reworking color schemes and

stacking configurations, the process of piling then became an expressive possibility. Next I

glazed high heels and boots into stacks installing the boots in a suitcase previously employed as a

pattern for mold making.

_______________________________________________________________________________________
26 19 SAN ISIDRO PKWY 104 LAREDO TX 78045
DSBOGUS@GMAIL.COM
956-508-2441
WWW.DAVIDBOGUS.COM
 
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David S. Bogus: Creative Identity NCECA 2015
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Typically, I work with several sculptures and installations simultaneously. The larger

overall composition plays with color, line, shape, variation, and pattern. Paired with my evolving

imagery, each new piece influences my perception of preceding works. As time passes, I view

the work in a progressive perspective.

In 2007, I was a grantee at the Roswell Artist in Residence Foundation. At that time, the

residency lacked a ceramics facility. This required me to adapt to alternative processes and was

an exciting challenge. I began casting concrete utilizing rubber molds. This significantly

augmented the possibilities within my practice. Influenced by classic Greek architecture and my

experience as a bartender, I constructed and installed a bar. Bar Fly is a functional installation

included in the permanent collection at the Anderson Museum of Contemporary Art.

At the conclusion of this residency, I moved to Providence, Rhode Island. I rented a

private studio in nearby Pawtucket and continued experimenting with mixed media and

ceramics. I focused on retablos using similar techniques and processes developed while creating

the bar. My inspiration came from my experience in New Mexico and the older work of Ken

Price, especially “Happy’s Curios”. These discoveries necessitated a transformation in the

ceramic components and their presentation.

In 2010, while serving as a sabbatical replacement at the University of Wyoming, I

focused on developing sustainable studio practices. I started slip-casting and utilizing low-fire

glaze techniques with a lively palette. This progression ignited significant discoveries while

presenting new sets of technical challenges.

I have resided in vastly diverse regions of the country, growing up in New England and

now living on our country’s southern border. People and places have played a key role in

_______________________________________________________________________________________
26 19 SAN ISIDRO PKWY 104 LAREDO TX 78045
DSBOGUS@GMAIL.COM
956-508-2441
WWW.DAVIDBOGUS.COM
 
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David S. Bogus: Creative Identity NCECA 2015
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determining the subject matter and the content within my work. These journeys have introduced

me to creative individuals, such as educators, artists, and chefs. Over time, these relationships

have shaped my practice. Recalling and reflecting upon past conversations influence what I

visually communicate. They have resulted in complex layers within the work observing how

creativity manifests itself in multiple disciplines, like cooking, music and design.

“The Fisherman” is comprised of oversized fishing hooks hung from the ceiling hovering

over colorful high heels. The concept was derived from a Chinese proverb taught to me by a

colleague during my time in graduate school. It presents two ways a person may eat, the hunter

stalks his prey and the fisherman waits for his catch. This metaphor reflects upon life’s obstacles,

one must wait until the perfect pairing is revealed teaching the importance of patience.

The artwork and my identity are parallels in a non-quantitative manner. I have learned

that my work evolves and matures from itself. I allow previous work to guide my process

inspiring and leading to new discoveries. Awareness of identity stimulates creative evolution.

Continually experimenting and reworking imagery creates endless potential. High heels, fishing

hooks, suitcases, life preservers, telephones, cigarette lighters, knives, anchors, locks and zippers

are objects that provide clues and information to my individuality becoming the language of a

personal narrative.

I embrace a non-linear approach to process. At the beginning, it is essential to incorporate

spontaneity and be unaware of what the end result will communicate. Each stage of the process

has the potential to reveal unintended themes that lead to new concepts. Deciding on imagery

comes sporadically. In some pieces, I start with a readymade, like a suitcase. At other times, I

model my own version of the object. These objects represent a narrative of interiority: not the

_______________________________________________________________________________________
26 19 SAN ISIDRO PKWY 104 LAREDO TX 78045
DSBOGUS@GMAIL.COM
956-508-2441
WWW.DAVIDBOGUS.COM
 
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David S. Bogus: Creative Identity NCECA 2015
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narrative of the object but a narrative of the possessor.5 They have a common connection,

reflecting upon aspects of identity, or relating to personal history.

The installation sometimes achieves a high degree of seriousness, while at other times

exploring an irreverent, tongue-in-cheek aesthetic. As time passes, reflection reveals the

subconscious. It is important that the work has the ability to be interpreted differently by others’

alternate perspectives. My personal reflection also changes as time elapses. After firings, the

installation process requires nuanced improvisation. The gallery becomes an extension of my

creative process. It informs and redirects. Intuitively, I embrace composition, responding to how

the work occupies each space in a unique way. The installations are fluid and ongoing. I

continually add components to increase scale, variety and complexity. By revising and tinkering

with the design I keep the work fresh and progressing. Creative problem solving (in the gallery

space) fosters new breakthroughs and keeps me invested in the singular object.

Understanding my identity fuels experimentation within my practice. My artistic

direction takes cues from creative people working in diverse disciplines, for example, chefs,

fashion designers, actors and musicians. I greatly admire a chef utilizing his identity to create his

cuisine. Good chefs cook for themselves, for the pure pleasure of eating, single minded in the

determination to succeed.6 Initially, I produce work for the purpose of identity exploration and

self-discovery. Success in my process allows me the freedom to explore new ideas and to take

risks. Self-awareness, a comprehension of place and personal history connect me to creativity.

Observing my changing identity and utilizing creative problem solving, I stimulate my growth as

an artist. I wait to discover the next inquiry by reflecting upon my identity’s metamorphosis.

_______________________________________________________________________________________
26 19 SAN ISIDRO PKWY 104 LAREDO TX 78045
DSBOGUS@GMAIL.COM
956-508-2441
WWW.DAVIDBOGUS.COM
 
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David S. Bogus: Creative Identity NCECA 2015
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1
Conforti, Joseph A. Another City Upon A Hill” Dartmouth, Massachusetts: Tangus Press 2013.
2
Hurd, D. Hamilton. “History of Bristol County, Massachusetts” Philadelphia: J.W. Lewis & Co
1883. Print
3
Woodside Watkins, Laura. “Early New England Potters and Their Wares.” Cambridge:
Harvard University Press 1950. Print
4
Stephen J. Dollinger. Stephanie M. Clancy Dollinger & Leslie Centeno. “Identity and
Creativity Identity.” An International Journal of Theory and Research Volume 5 Issue 4, (2005):
315-339. Print
5
Stewart, Susan. “On Longing”. Durham and London: Duke University Press 1993. Print
6
Bourdain, Anthony. “Kitchen Confidential”. New York: Bloomsbury USA 2000. Print

_______________________________________________________________________________________
26 19 SAN ISIDRO PKWY 104 LAREDO TX 78045
DSBOGUS@GMAIL.COM
956-508-2441
WWW.DAVIDBOGUS.COM