Perched on the cliffs of Chattanooga, Tennessee, the Hunter Museum of American Art continues to expand its permanent collection to better reflect the diverse American experience. The museum recently acquired two significant works by the late sculptor Bella Feldman (1930–2024), whose "anxiety-driven" industrial aesthetic bridges mid-century steel traditions with modern social critique. These additions reinforce the Hunter’s commitment to showcasing provocative, high-caliber contemporary sculpture.

1. Spit Fire (2001)
Part of Feldman’s renowned War Toys series, this sculpture reimagines a flamethrower as a clunky, tank-like machine that feels both threatening and absurd.

• The Form: A biomorphic, blown-glass "organ" of war is held in a heavy steel harness and mounted on a rigid, four-wheeled metal chassis.
• Absurdity of Power: Reimagines a lethal flamethrower as a clunky, glass-bodied "toy." Rendering the fearsome weapon as absurd, Feldman mocks the heavy-handed nature of military posturing.

2. Out of Order 1 (2004)
This work presents a layered, mechanical landscape that suggests a breakdown in the perceived logic and efficiency of the industrial age.

• The Form: A composition of etched glass panels and steel frames utilizing Victorian-era engravings of complex gears, cranks, and industrial parts.
• Symbolic Tension: It explores the loss of human agency within massive systems, highlighting the inherent instability and eventual "disorder" of highly structured capitalist societies.