Richard Hunt

Interpretation

This work’s title describes its composition in welded steel. The combination of shapes explores the material qualities of the medium while also suggesting various organic forms. Richard Hunt emerged as an important African American artist in the mid-20th century, and his sculptures remain profoundly influential today for their fusion of abstract and representational sensibilities.

Acquisition details

This is one of about 300 works of art given to the RISD Museum by collector Richard Brown Baker upon his death in 2002. While Baker’s funding contributions to the museum are described in the label for the John Stezaker work near the entrance to this gallery, the artworks he donated to the museums at RISD (he was born in Rhode Island in 1912) and Yale University (where he graduated in 1935) helped both institutions greatly strengthen their holdings of 20th-century art.

-Dominic Molon, Richard Brown Baker Curator of Contemporary Art