About
Line to Form: Richard Hunt’s Prints and Sculpture presents an in-depth exploration of Richard Hunt’s artistic legacy, spotlighting prints and sculptures created during his distinguished career. The exhibition features a selection of Hunt’s prints from the 1970s, from MMoCA’s collection, alongside two bronze sculptures.
Richard Hunt is best known for his large public sculptures, but this exhibition shows a different side of his work. With artworks such as Untitled, 1978 the improvisational and abstract nature of his sculptural work is manifested on paper using the language of gestural abstraction. Other artworks, such as Paper Piece I, 1978, highlight the artist’s exploration of materiality, as he built paper pulp into a layered composition. Connecting the two-dimensional works in the exhibition are a pair of sculptures that echo the free-flowing abstract forms that Hunt explored throughout his career. One of these sculptures, Untitled, 1981 is marked by bronze disease, a type of corrosion that occurs when chlorides come into contact with bronze or other copper alloys. This exhibition offers an educational discussion of the preservation and conservation practices required to maintain the artwork in MMoCA’s permanent collection and preserve the legacy of Richard Hunt.
About the Artist
Richard Hunt, born on September 12, 1935, in Chicago, was a groundbreaking sculptor whose seven-decade career made a significant impact on American art. Growing up on the South Side of Chicago, Hunt was deeply influenced by his surroundings and early exposure to art. He studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), where he taught himself welding and quickly gained national recognition. Despite facing challenges as an African American artist, Hunt held over 150 solo exhibitions and his work is featured in more than 100 museums worldwide. He created over 160 public sculptures across 24 states and Washington, D.C., and was a pioneer in using Cor-Ten steel, bronze, and stainless steel. Notably, Hunt was the first African American visual artist to serve on the National Council on the Arts and was instrumental in several major public art projects, including monuments to Martin Luther King, Jr., and Emmett Till. Hunt’s contributions to art and civil rights were widely recognized, earning him numerous awards and honors, including a Guggenheim Fellowship and a “Richard Hunt Day” in Illinois. He passed away on December 16, 2023, leaving behind a legacy of artistic excellence and social impact.
Virtual Tour
Virtual tours are supported by Mark and Judy Bednar.