Richard Hunt (sculptor)
Encyclopedia
Richard Hunt is an internationally renowned sculptor.
He was born in 1935 on Chicago
's South Side. From an early age he was interested in the arts, as his mother was an artist. As a young boy, Hunt began to show enthusiasm and talent in artistic disciplines such as drawing and painting, and also sculpture, an interest that grew more and more as he got older. He developed his skills at the Junior School of the Art Institute and later at the Art Institute of Chicago
. Hunt also acquired business sense and awareness of social issues from working for his father in a barbershop.
Hunt began to experiment with materials and sculpting techniques, influenced heavily by progressive twentieth-century artists. This experimentation garnered critically positive response from the art community, such that Hunt was exhibited at the Artists of Chicago and Vicinity Show and the American Show, where the Museum of Modern Art
purchased a piece for its collection. He was the youngest artist to exhibit at the 1962 Seattle World's Fair
, a major international survey exhibition of modern art
.
Hunt has completed more public sculptures than any other artist in the country. His signature pieces include Jacob's Ladder at the Carter G. Woodson Library in Chicago and Flintlock Fantasy in Detroit. He was appointed by President Lyndon Johnson as one of the first artists to serve on the governing board of the National Endowment for the Arts
and he also served on boards of the Smithsonian Institution
. Hunt is the recipient of numerous awards and honorary degrees.
Hunt has continued to experiment throughout his successful career, employing a wide range of sculptural techniques. Through his work, Hunt often makes comments on contemporary social and political issues.
He was born in 1935 on Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
's South Side. From an early age he was interested in the arts, as his mother was an artist. As a young boy, Hunt began to show enthusiasm and talent in artistic disciplines such as drawing and painting, and also sculpture, an interest that grew more and more as he got older. He developed his skills at the Junior School of the Art Institute and later at the Art Institute of Chicago
Art Institute of Chicago
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago is one of America's largest accredited independent schools of art and design, located in the Loop in Chicago, Illinois. It is associated with the museum of the same name, and "The Art Institute of Chicago" or "Chicago Art Institute" often refers to either...
. Hunt also acquired business sense and awareness of social issues from working for his father in a barbershop.
Hunt began to experiment with materials and sculpting techniques, influenced heavily by progressive twentieth-century artists. This experimentation garnered critically positive response from the art community, such that Hunt was exhibited at the Artists of Chicago and Vicinity Show and the American Show, where the Museum of Modern Art
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
purchased a piece for its collection. He was the youngest artist to exhibit at the 1962 Seattle World's Fair
Century 21 Exposition
The Century 21 Exposition was a World's Fair held April 21, 1962, to October 21, 1962 in Seattle, Washington.Nearly 10 million people attended the fair...
, a major international survey exhibition of modern art
Modern art
Modern art includes artistic works produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s, and denotes the style and philosophy of the art produced during that era. The term is usually associated with art in which the traditions of the past have been thrown aside in a spirit of...
.
Hunt has completed more public sculptures than any other artist in the country. His signature pieces include Jacob's Ladder at the Carter G. Woodson Library in Chicago and Flintlock Fantasy in Detroit. He was appointed by President Lyndon Johnson as one of the first artists to serve on the governing board of the National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
and he also served on boards of the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
. Hunt is the recipient of numerous awards and honorary degrees.
Hunt has continued to experiment throughout his successful career, employing a wide range of sculptural techniques. Through his work, Hunt often makes comments on contemporary social and political issues.