Kenneth Bunn (1938–2020)

Kenneth Bunn breathes action and life into his animal sculpture. Through his strong, personal and interpretive style he imbues a vitality and energy in his subjects that reflect their zest for life. That elusive quality is often difficult to depict within his chosen medium - bronze.

Unlike two-dimensional painting, a sculpture must work from all viewpoints. With only light and shadow to create the illusion of movement. Bunn strives to achieve the precise surface texture that will convey his ideas.

Though some level of animal anatomy may be gleaned from textbooks, mastery of their gestures, an inquisitive look, or specific behaviors, demands field studies. In addition to traveling to Africa, Europe, Mexico, and numerous areas of North America, Bunn visits zoos and private preserves, which provide him with opportunities to enhance his work.

As an artist, he seeks to capture the "implied action" by creating sculptures that prolong or increase motion. To communicate the suggestion of movement and life, he will extend an animal's leg or alter reality in some other way that will allow viewers to perceive the work's meaning. While he concedes his pieces are not exactly scientific, he believes that "strict accuracy does not necessarily make a great sculpture." In fact, Bunn believes too much information may stymie the artist's imagination and creativity.

Noteworthy museum representation includes the Royal Ontario Museum) Canada; Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, Oklahoma; the Eiteljorg Museum, Indianapolis, Indiana; the National Museum of Wildlife Art, Jackson, Wyoming; the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, Wisconsin; the Columbus Museum of Art, Ohio; the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and the Denver Art Museum, Colorado. Bunn's recent monumental sculpture installations include Century Bank, Santa Fe, New Mexico; the University of Kentucky Campus, Lexington, Kentucky; the Westminster Schools, Atlanta, Georgia; and the Fort Lewis College, Durango, Colorado.

Bunn is an Academician of the National Academy of Design and a Fellow of the National Sculpture Society.