art treatise
two careers, one purpose
Place and history influence Bruce Bowman’s art and architecture
RUCE BOWMAN began to pursue his passion for creativity through architecture and art when
he was earning a degree in environmental design in architecture from the School of Design
at North Carolina State University.
The program was unique in encouraging students to dual-professionalize, and Bowman
experimented with painting and other mediums. He developed a lasting belief that visual
art and architecture could, and should, go hand in hand.
“Architecture and art blend seamlessly to me,” he explains. “I think that architects who
create art are more enriched for it.”
After graduating, Bowman devoted several years to building a family and an architecture practice. Then he
found motivation to begin his second career in earnest in the community and support of the Wilmington art
scene, including business partner Chip Hemingway, another architect/artist.
“I found community at a rough time in my life through my partner Chip and his art friends,” Bowman says.
“The arts community was smaller then; I would liken it to a college atmosphere. We attended weekly drawing
classes and would get together with a very diverse group — some of us were definitely misfits. We connected
on the art level and practiced together and that became a real outlet. I looked forward to that sort of art as a
complement to the otherwise technical world of architecture that I lived in.”
Though Bowman and Hemingway share their business and a passion for painting, the work they produce is
very different, reflecting their distinctive personalities and relationships to the medium.
Bowman’s painting intentionally contrasts with his architecture practice. While architectural design requires
scrupulous and intense detail, capturing every space and its dimensions, Bowman strives to paint a complete
image in as few details as possible. Where architectural drawing needs to communicate a thorough planning
process, Bowman’s paintings seem almost effortless. The pared-down quality grants them a graphic feel and
the often-primary color palettes recall poster art and early advertisement.
Place and history figure prominently in Bowman’s work and have influenced both of his careers.
“I love historic settings — I live in Wilmington, which is a beautiful place — and I’ve always lived in a place
with significant history,” he says. “I’ve always advocated strongly for historic preservation and the Historic
Wilmington Foundation and you will definitely see that influence in my work in architecture and painting.”
Included in his practice are paintings of the Dudley Mansion and a cathedral in Montreal.
Bruce Bowman in his Wilmington studio. Painting on his easel: Studio 1814, 16 x 20 inches, oil on canvas.
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WBM june 2018
by Kathryn Manis
B ALLISON POTTER