Collecting with Varujan Boghosian

Poet of the Lost and Found

A self-described “junk collector,” Varujan Boghosian has amassed an assortment of vintage objects, from old sailors’ smoking pipes to faded children’s building blocks. Each piece, lost or abandoned by some previous owner, waits to find its new meaning through the artist’s collages and constructions. This visual poetry made a major impact throughout the Museum in spring 2014. In the Wolfe Gallery for Contemporary Art, his self-titled solo exhibition explored Boghosian’s deep love of literature and his knowledge of art history. In Gallery 18, dozens of objects from the artist’s studio in New Hampshire were part of a hands-on experience that invited visitors to create their own found-object assemblages. And in the Little Theater and beyond, Boghosian generously gave of his time and energy to engage with patrons young and old in discussions about art. The artist’s wit was felt beyond the galleries, as well, when he joined Museum Director Brian Kennedy on an excursion to the Maumee Antique Mall. The resulting video, titled Shopping with Varujan Boghosian, gave Museum visitors a behind-the-scenes look at his (often humorous) inspirations. “I spend more time collecting than I do making objects,” he said. “The more material you have, the better your options to make a construction or an object or a collage.”