A view of a giant, artistic replica of an old fishing lure created by artist Bobbie K Owens at his studio west of Columbus, Ind., Wednesday, June 16, 2021. The fishing lure will be installed at Upland in Jeffersonville, Ind.
Artist Bobbie K Owens talks about creating giant, artistic replicas of old fishing lures to be used in art installations at Upland locations in Columbus and Jeffersonville, Ind., at his studio west of Columbus, Ind., Wednesday, June 16, 2021. The fishing lure behind him will be installed at the Upland location in Jeffersonville. “I wanted to make make something that even the big city people in New York — and those are people I still deal with artistically — ultimately think is pretty cool,” he said.
A view of a giant, artistic replica of an old fishing lure created by artist Bobbie K Owens at his studio west of Columbus, Ind., Wednesday, June 16, 2021. The fishing lure will be installed at Upland in Columbus, Ind.
Artist Bobbie K Owens talks about creating giant, artistic replicas of old fishing lures to be used in art installations at Upland locations in Columbus and Jeffersonville, Ind., at his studio west of Columbus, Ind., Wednesday, June 16, 2021. The fishing lure will be installed at Upland in Columbus, Ind. “All of these lures are (copied from) classics,” said Owens. “If you had a tackle box (years ago), you had these in there. But if you look up close, you’ll see my style on them, too.”
Artist Bobbie K Owens talks about creating giant, artistic replicas of old fishing lures to be used in art installations at Upland locations in Columbus and Jeffersonville, Ind., at his studio west of Columbus, Ind., Wednesday, June 16, 2021. The fishing lure behind him will be installed at the Upland location in Jeffersonville. “I wanted to make make something that even the big city people in New York — and those are people I still deal with artistically — ultimately think is pretty cool,” he said.
Artist Bobbie K Owens talks about creating giant, artistic replicas of old fishing lures to be used in art installations at Upland locations in Columbus and Jeffersonville, Ind., at his studio west of Columbus, Ind., Wednesday, June 16, 2021. The fishing lure behind him will be installed at Upland in Columbus, Ind. “All of these lures are (copied from) classics,” said Owens. “If you had a tackle box (years ago), you had these in there. But if you look up close, you’ll see my style on them, too.”
Artist Bobbie K Owens shows off some of the fishing lures he used as inspiration for creating giant, artistic replicas of old fishing lures to be used in art installations at Upland locations in Columbus and Jeffersonville, Ind., at his studio west of Columbus, Ind., Wednesday, June 16, 2021.
COLUMBUS, Ind. (AP) — Ideally, Bobbie K Owens wants everyone to take the bait that his latest outdoor art is as slick as a big bluegill. Cast your gaze into his elaborate, rural, oversized studio southwest of Grandview Lake in Columbus and see for yourself about what he calls a team effort.
At first glance, his 28-foot-long Red Devil fishing lure looks big enough to attract Moby Dick. But that’s not exactly what he’s fishing for with his 450-pound resin-and-steel creation — one that will be unveiled as a permanent piece at the bicentennial Celebration on the River at 1:30 p.m. Aug. 14 at the Upland Columbus Pump House along the East Fork of White River.
“I wanted to make make something that even the big city people in New York — and those are people I still deal with artistically — ultimately think is pretty cool,” he said, acknowledging that he battles insecurity as much as anyone. “Really, the idea was that I would make something that you could put almost anywhere.
“And I wanted something that would impress the guy with the Skoal in his back pocket, as maybe he’s driving by with his fishing poles visible in the back window. I wanted to make something that would make him smile.”
A small circle of friends who hang out with him — guys who joke that if Owens is a painter, he should be painting their fences and such — is impressed. One is Jeff Smiley, a former longtime auto body shop owner who has assisted on the work. Smiley and Owens have been friends since their boyhood days in New Castle.
