TOLEDO – Where some see relics of the past, one noted New
England artist sees material for his next sculpture or collage. Varujan Boghosian regularly visits junk
shops and antique stores in search of items he might use.As sculptor, assembler, scavenger and
conservator, Boghosian is an expert in gathering objects, such as old toys, puzzle pieces, metal banks,
sheet music and shoes, and repurposing them to create works of art.About two dozen of his assembled
sculptures and collages are on display now through May 25 in the Toledo Museum of Art’s Wolfe Gallery
mezzanine.The spoils of Boghosian’s "picking" in antique shops hunts fill his Dartmouth
College studio in Hanover, N.H. Museum visitors can see a representation of that workroom in Gallery 18
and try their hand at creating their own assemblages through April 13.Boghosian will be in Toledo for a
free program on Jan. 31 when he’ll discuss his work with Museum Director Brian Kennedy at 7:30 p.m. in
the Little Theater."Varujan takes objects that are familiar to us and puts them in juxtaposition
with objects not normally together," according to Amy Gilman, the Museum’s curator of contemporary
art and associate director. "He plays with making images in a way that’s reminiscent of being a
child but is in no way childish. Through humor, imagination and symbolic imagery, his art invites
multiple interpretations."Born in 1926 in Connecticut to Armenian immigrants, Boghosian initially
thought he would be a writer or teacher – as a teenager he was fascinated by ancient myths and literary
figures. Though he eventually found his clearest voice in the visual arts, studying at the Yale School
of Art and Architecture, those initial aspirations weren’t forgotten. His art expresses a deep
appreciation for literature, testing viewers with his myriad references, from the ancient Greek myth of
Orpheus and Eurydice to the poetry of Irish novelist James Joyce.Boghosian has had a distinguished
academic career, having held teaching positions at the University of Florida, Cooper Union, the Pratt
Institute, Yale, Brown and, from 1968 until 2008, Dartmouth College.His works are in many collections
including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and Indianapolis Museum of Art as
well as the Toledo Museum of Art.(Story provided by Toledo Museum of Art.)