Bomb Maker (1993) by Eduardo Bolioli | Fabulous Art Museum

Bomb Maker (1993)

Artist: Eduardo Bolioli

Year Created: 1993

Medium: Acrylic on canvas

Dimensions: 48″ W x 71″ H

Provenance: Collection of Patrick (Pat) Henry Maguire (Former Owner, Newport Fine Art, Newport, OR, and Danville Gallery, Danville, CA; long-time Representative of Eduardo Bolioli)

Accession Number: FAM.2026.1002

Artist Website: https://www.eduardobolioli.com/

Artwork Overview & Physical Description

Bomb Maker is a monumental, nearly six-foot-tall acrylic painting created by artist Eduardo Bolioli in 1993. Blending neo-pop art energy with bold neo-expressionist line work – echoing the graphic language of contemporaries like Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat. The artwork depicts a stylized, vibrant neon-red figure set against a dense, monochromatic mechanical background.

At the center of the composition, the vibrant red figure features a singular, wide cyclopean eye filled with intense yellow pigment. The figure cradles a large grey bomb across its lap while raised hands and outstretched limbs navigate a complex surrounding matrix of gears, cogwheels, industrial pipes, and electronic circuitry. The high-contrast palette pits the hot red figure against cool grey, teal, and black industrial motifs, emphasizing themes of human involvement within cold, mechanized, and industrial environments.

Historical Context & Creation Story

The story behind Bomb Maker connects directly to a specific moment in Pacific Northwest art history and the cultural backdrop of 1993. Bolioli created this work for his 1993 Seattle exhibition while listening to Pearl Jam’s seminal debut album, Ten – an influence that resonates in the raw, rhythmic energy and industrial motifs of the painting.

Following its initial Seattle debut, the work (along with a select group of pieces from the exhibition) transitioned into the collection of Patrick (Pat) Henry Maguire, a former art gallery owner based in Danville, California (1986–2001). Pat, a computer systems specialist who worked with Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs), held a deep personal connection to the work’s theme and scale, preserving the piece within his private collection for over three decades.

Curator’s Note & Significance

Curated by Nathan LaChine, Founder & Curator, Fabulous Art Museum

Preserving Bomb Maker allows us to document not only Eduardo Bolioli’s artistic evolution during a vibrant period in the early 1990s, but also the rich human history woven into the provenance of the piece itself. From its creation in Seattle under the sonic influence of 1990s grunge culture to its thirty-year custody in the private collection of Patrick Henry Maguire – a story tied to both fine art galleries and military technological history. “Bomb Maker” serves as a powerful bridge between personal narrative, artistic expression, and historical preservation.