Hugh Hayden’s sculptures are never what they seem: a Barbour jacket clad in bark, an Adirondack chair painted ablaze, a picnic table with tree branches growing from its surface. Although seemingly uncanny or surreal in their presence, they ask questions and reveal truths about race, class and social assimilation in America.
As project editor of this catalogue, the first to document the work of Hugh Hayden, I worked between numerous stakeholders to bring the content together, collecting a significant amount of visual material from the artist’s studio and his galleries, and editing a range of contributions, including essays by curator Sarah Montross and Mark Anthony Neal, a short story by Carmen Maria Machado and a conversation with Horace Ballard. Following delivery of this material to the designer, I coordinated all feedback and secured all image licensing and copyrights.
Designed by Laura Coombs
Co-published by DeCordova and MIT Press, 2023