“If I can manipulate your perception of what a piece of wood or a tree can be to your own personal history, it’s a way to change even further how you think about the world.”
American sculptor Hugh Hayden takes on the issues of living in America and the myths surrounding the American Dream. We met up with the artist in his Brooklyn studio to discuss the creation of his unsettling, surrealist sculptures and how the use of natural materials and camouflage can serve as a metaphor for being part of society.
“I’ve always had a natural affinity to use a lot of natural materials with my goal of taking something from the natural world that’s really ubiquitous, like a tree or a piece of wood, and transforming it into something uncanny, different, something unexpected that might change the way you think about the world and the social issues that that object is being transformed into.”
Hayden’s work revolves around the manipulation of tangible materials, particularly those tied to real-world experiences, including vernacular American furniture forms. Through precise craftsmanship, he transforms well-known objects, such as a school desk covered in bristles or pencils, rendering them completely uninhabitable.
“As artists, I think we’re kind of remixing history and the past and the current and the future to create these new narratives or new stories,” Hugh Hayden explains. Among his furniture works is a series of Adirondack chairs, all altered into familiar yet distorted editions: “To me, an Adirondack chair symbolizes a notion of land ownership, relaxation, a second home, being outdoors – just a chance to inhabit the American dream. But often the Adirondack chairs I make are very difficult to actually sit in. They might be slanted, they might have bristles on them, they might have thorns on them, they might have flames on them, you know, that bring a different sort of significance to it.”
Through his sculptures and installations, Hugh Hayden invites viewers to reconsider the familiar, confront societal issues, and find entry points to new perspectives. He acknowledges that the conflation of desirable and threatening elements can evoke discomfort or laughter, emphasizing the importance of perspective in interpreting his work:
“I definitely think there’s humor in my work; however, I think that’s a reflection of reality and maybe the objects I’m making or distilling. However, the conflation of something that’s very desirable but also threatening can seem humorous, but also that’s many aspects of living in America or a society. You’re often conflated with all of these different things at once.”
Hugh Hayden (b. 1983 in Dallas, Texas) lives and works in Brooklyn, New York City. He holds an MFA from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell University. His art has been exhibited in numerous institutions in the United States and abroad. These include public art installations, ‘Huff and a Puff,’ at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, Lincoln, MA, and ‘Brier Patch,’ at the Madison Square Park Conservancy in New York, NY. His recent solo exhibitions are ‘Hughman,’ Lisson Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, ‘Boogey Men’ at the Institute of Contemporary Art Miami, Miami, FL, and Blaffer Art Museum, Houston, TX; ‘Huey,’ Lisson Gallery, New York, NY; ‘Hues,’ C L E A R I N G, Brussels, Belgium; ‘Hugh Hayden: American Food,’ Lisson Gallery, London, UK. Recent group exhibitions include ‘Forest of Dreams: Contemporary Tree Sculpture,’ Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, Grand Rapids, MI (2023) and ‘NGV Triennial,’ National Gallery of Victoria, Australia (2023).
Hugh Hayden’s works are included in several public collections – including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY; Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Los Angeles, CA; The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, NY, USA; Institute of Contemporary Art Miami, Miami, FL, USA, and deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, Lincoln, MA.
Hugh Hayden was interviewed by Nanna Rebekka in his studio in Brooklyn, New York, in May 2023. The film also includes footage from Frieze New York 2023 and the exhibition ‘Maiden Voyage’ at Clearing Gallery, New York.
Camera: Sean Hanley
Edited and produced by: Nanna Rebekka
Copyright: Louisiana Channel, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, 2023. Louisiana Channel is supported by Den A.P. Møllerske Støttefond, Ny Carlsbergfondet, and C.L. Davids Fond og Samling.
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