The Realm of the Oracle

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The Realm of the Oracle

Artist Varujan Boghosian (American, 1926-2020)

Date1989

DimensionsCase: 18 × 18 in. (45.7 × 45.7 cm)

MediumMetal

ClassificationSculpture

Credit LineGift of Mr. and Mrs. Frederic D. Wolfe

Object number

2014.23

Not on View

DescriptionA metal figure is shown with a pin in her right hand, which she is using to poke a large black sphere. Smaller black spheres are spread around them

Label Text“I don’t make anything. I find everything.” — Varujan Boghosian Best known for his constructions and collages, Varujan Boghosian (pronounced VAR-zhan Bo-GO-zhen) has been variously described as a sculptor, assembler, scavenger, and historian. Born in Connecticut in 1926 to Armenian immigrants, Boghosian initially thought that he would be a writer or a teacher—as a teenager he was fascinated by ancient myth and literary figures. Though he eventually found his clearest voice in the visual arts, those initial aspirations weren’t dismissed, but rather incorporated into his work and life. His art expresses a deep appreciation for literature, testing viewers’ own knowledge with his myriad references. Contemplating the connections between myth, reality, dreams, and lived experience, Boghosian’s work often makes use of symbolic imagery. By juxtaposing symbols in unexpected ways, Boghosian creates a world that is at once familiar and disconcerting, universal and yet deeply personal. Through humor and imagination, his art invites the possibility of multiple interpretations.Exhibition HistoryToledo Museum of Art, Varujan Boghosian, Dec. 13, 2013-May 25, 2014.