Dumpty Humpty
Brett Douglas Hunter | Papercrete, stucco, EPS foam, acrylic paint | 2019
Dumpty Humpty is a mixed-media sculpture that blends recognizable features with imaginative figurative abstraction. Its four-sided shape presents a whimsical combination of smiling and frowning faces, suggesting shifting emotions and multiple perspectives. The work fits into Hunter's ongoing exploration of everyday emotional themes — joy, grief, irony, and social commentary — expressed through simple, bold forms.
The sculpture is constructed from lightweight EPS foam, coated with layers of synthetic stucco reinforced with fiberglass mesh, and sealed to withstand outdoor conditions.
Within the context of the APSU Permanent Collection — which includes works by significant folk artists such as E.T. Wickham and William Edmondson — Dumpty Humpty represents both a Tennessee artist and a contemporary interpretation of folk-art traditions. The work is on loan for a two-year period.
About the Artist
Brett Douglas Hunter is a self-taught artist living and working in Nashville, Tennessee. Drawing lasting inspiration from his family of self-taught artists and builders, Hunter explores sculpture and unconventional furniture design. His practice began with paintings, folky wood cutouts, and painted objects; he later discovered the third dimension through paper mache, which led to concrete and large-scale outdoor sculpture. His more recent work focuses on playful interactive installations, alongside explorations of emotional narrative — joy, grief, and irreverent humor.
Hunter's work has been featured in Hi-Fructose Magazine and can be seen at Franconia Sculpture Park in Minnesota, at annual installations at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, and at Creature Camp, his campsite-for-rent on his home property outside of Nashville. He has had solo exhibitions at kinder MODERN (New York), The Future Perfect (New York), Julia Martin Gallery (Nashville), Elephant Gallery (Nashville), and Infinity Cat (Nashville).
