Getting to know Bascom Hogue

I can't remember where I first discovered the breathtaking, eerie and beautiful work of Bascom Hogue. I just know I was blown away by the images and the rawness of the embroidery. As I've gotten to know him a little better I have found that he is a man true to his word, deeply spiritual and yet still an enigma. 


Tell me a little bit about yourself.
I am a Mennonite from Kansas. I love Jesus. I like potatoes, pies, homemade bread, dogs, road trips, the Great Plains, reading, sewing, painting, and the feel of freshly laundered sheets on the bed. My mother is Jewish and my father is Christian. I have advanced college degrees in social work and theology. I have seven older sisters.

Your images are so breathtaking and personal. How do you choose them?
Kansas is the land of contrasts. I have always known some folks who sin like crazy, are mean as hell, and go to church every Sunday. I also know many folks who are quite charitable in their thoughts, deeds, and epitomize what a Christian should be. I pick images by thinking about contrasts and distilling them to their essence. I try to make images that have the grand qualities of Tolstoy’s writings and the beauty of Johns’ works but always anchored to the things I know.

I love the old photographs and images you have on Flikr, where do you find them?
Some of them are family photographs passed sown to me. Some of them I found in junk stores, antique malls, old books, drawers in estate sales, and some from internet auctions.

Do you have a website?
I have a blog called Cottonwood Diner. I like cottonwood trees. I like diners, and I like people. http://cottonwooddiner.blogspot.com/

 Any advice for the masses? 
Like the song says, “…Love one another right.”

Thank you so much for allowing me to share your beautiful work with others. I wish you peace and happiness in everything you do and all adventures you set out to discover. You are a wonderful person and an amazing talent.