Lives and works in Buffalo, NY

Words are Tom Hughes’ main subject, which he brings to life through a combination of inconspicuous materials such as plywood, Styrofoam, paint, and light bulbs. Hughes uses language as an anthropomorphic tool to create sculptural works whose forms leave the viewer with just as many questions as the words they embody. Hughes’ work depends on both our understanding, and misunderstanding, of language. Furious Amateurs, 2010, comprises seven rectangular boxes that project of the wall truncated pyramids that boastfully state: WE FURIOUS AMATEURS STEEL OURSELVES AGAINST NOTHING, a statement that is provocative in its ambiguity, leaving the words to take on a life of their own and hang in the air for viewers to interpret, or interject, with their own sensibilities.

On view at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery

To hear the artist’s audio statement, click the audio player below: