Hugh Hayden / Creation Myths

January 18 – June 7, 2020

Hugh Hayden, born 1983, Dallas, TX; active New York, NY  America, 2018  Sculpted mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) on plywood  Overall: 109.5 × 205.4 × 205.4 cm (43 1/8 × 80 7/8 × 80 7/8 in.) ,Table: 90.2 × 101.6 × 101.6 cm (35 1/2 × 40 × 40 in.) ,Chairs (each): 109.9 × 53.3 × 44.4 cm (43 1/4 × 21 × 17 1/2 in.)  Princeton University Art Museum. Museum purchase, Kathleen Compton Sherrerd Fund for Acquisitions in American Art  © Hugh Hayden

Hugh Hayden (b. 1983) works with materials that have fascinating, politically charged histories. Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Hayden often draws from his own background and experiences to derive the forms and meanings of his works. For Creation Myths, the artist’s first solo presentation in a museum context, Hayden responds to the history of Bainbridge House, and to Princeton more broadly. He has created four distinct—but interconnected—spaces: a kitchen, dining room, study, and classroom. Each space is defined by an installation; together, they craft a narrative—part fiction, part history—that evokes such themes as cuisine, leisure, and education.