d’Aulnoy Editions · Artist Monograph

Son of a Dakota Twister

The Life and Works of a Folk Artist

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Kent V. Gutzmer

Kent Gutzmer standing in his workshop beside carved wooden figures and tools.

About the Book

Tracing the life and work of Kent Gutzmer, a self-taught folk artist whose carved figures, whirligigs, weather vanes, and mixed-media sculptures combine memory, humor, and American vernacular craft.

About the Book

Tracing the life and work of Kent Gutzmer, a self-taught folk artist whose carved figures, whirligigs, weather vanes, and mixed-media sculptures combine memory, humor, and American vernacular craft.

Open book spread with archival photographs and text about Kent Gutzmer’s folk art.

Beginning with a snowbound winter day in South Dakota in 1984, the book follows Gutzmer’s unlikely path from an old carpet knife and a first rocking horse to a prolific body of work now collected, auctioned, and remembered across the country.

The pages bring together biography, sculpture, found materials, and archival context to frame Gutzmer’s practice within the broader outsider-art tradition while preserving the singular strangeness and warmth of his carved world.

Focus

folk art, carving, and mixed media

Focus

folk art, carving, and mixed media

Setting

South Dakota and beyond

Setting

South Dakota and beyond

Includes

story, sculpture, auctions, and press history

Includes

story, sculpture, auctions, and press history

About the Artist

Kent Gutzmer’s work belongs to the outsider-art sphere: intuitive, self-directed, and alive with carved characters, animated forms, and weathered materials gathered into objects that feel both familiar and uncanny.

About the Artist

Kent Gutzmer surrounded by a large collection of carved and painted folk art sculptures.

Without formal training, Gutzmer developed a visual language built from repetition, handwork, and a sharp instinct for character. His subjects range from Bugs Bunny and Betty Boop to jockeys, jesters, Santas, Uncle Sam figures, busts, flags, and jointed figurines.

His sculptures often combine wood carving with found objects, giving each piece an aged, improvised quality. That mix of precision and oddity is what makes the work feel personal, regional, and difficult to mistake for anyone else’s.

Practice

self-taught folk sculpture

Materials

carved wood and found objects

Recognition

auctions, collections, and national press

Order the Book

Son of a Dakota Twister is available through major booksellers and independent retailers. If it's not currently in stock, your local bookseller can order it through Ingram Book Group.

Barnes & Noble

Amazon

Bookshop.org

Print length

108 pages

Language

English

Publication date

July 8, 2026

Dimensions

8 × 0.25 × 10 inches

Copies of Son of a Dakota Twister shown open and standing together.

Gallery

Kent Gutzmer standing beside a tall coin-topped folk sculpture.

Plate 01 — Kent Gutzmer standing beside a coin-topped folk sculpture.

Handwritten letter to Kent Gutzmer with photos of folk art sculptures.

Plate 04 — A handwritten letter to Kent, expressing interest in purchasing more of his sculptures.

Workshop and Humpty Dumpty sculpture from Kent Gutzmer’s archive.

Plate 07 — Views of Kent Gutzmer’s workshop and Humpty Dumpty sculpture.

Gutzmer’s Bride and Groom sculpture displayed in a living room.

Plate 10 — Gutzmer’s Bride and Groom in the living room.

Plate 13 — Gutzmer’s sculptural interpretation of characters from The Wizard of Oz.

Gutzmer’s Uncle Sam sculpture riding a horse outdoors.

Plate 02 — Painted rider of Uncle Sam, featured on the book cover of "Son of a Dakota Twister."

Plate 05 — Carved wall-mounted profile wearing a painted feathered headdress.

Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse folk sculptures displayed in Kent Gutzmer’s front yard.

Plate 08 — Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse sculptures displayed in Kent Gutzmer’s front yard.

Detail of Gutzmer’s Uncle Sam sculpture.

Plate 11 — Detail of Kent Gutzmer’s Uncle Sam sculpture.

Plate 14 — Gutzmer’s Minnie and Mickey Mouse sculptures.

Sketch of a witch-like figure holding candles on lined paper.

Plate 03 — Kent’s sketch of a witch-like figure holding candles.

Close view of Kent Gutzmer’s Bugs Bunny sculpture.

Plate 06 — Detail of Kent Gutzmer’s Bugs Bunny sculpture.

Kent Gutzmer in his woodshop surrounded by tools, lumber, and work in progress.

Plate 09 — Kent Gutzmer in his woodshop surrounded by tools, lumber, and works in progress.

Kent Gutzmer and a family member standing with three folk sculptures in the front yard.

Plate 12 — Kent Gutzmer and a family member with three of his sculptures in the front yard.

Plate 15 — Detail of Gutzmer’s Alice in Wonderland sculpture.

Plate 01 — Kent Gutzmer standing beside a coin-topped folk sculpture.

Plate 03 — Kent’s sketch of a witch-like figure holding candles.

Plate 05 — Carved wall-mounted profile wearing a painted feathered headdress.

Plate 07 — Views of Kent Gutzmer’s workshop and Humpty Dumpty sculpture.

Plate 09 — Kent Gutzmer in his woodshop surrounded by tools, lumber, and works in progress.

Plate 11 — Detail of Kent Gutzmer’s Uncle Sam sculpture.

Plate 13 — Gutzmer’s sculptural interpretation of characters from The Wizard of Oz.

Plate 15 — Detail of Gutzmer’s Alice in Wonderland sculpture.

Plate 02 — Painted rider of Uncle Sam, featured on the book cover of "Son of a Dakota Twister."

Plate 04 — A handwritten letter to Kent, expressing interest in purchasing more of his sculptures.

Plate 06 — Detail of Kent Gutzmer’s Bugs Bunny sculpture.

Plate 08 — Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse sculptures displayed in Kent Gutzmer’s front yard.

Plate 10 — Gutzmer’s Bride and Groom in the living room.

Plate 12 — Kent Gutzmer and a family member with three of his sculptures in the front yard.

Plate 14 — Gutzmer’s Minnie and Mickey Mouse sculptures.

Plate 01 — Kent Gutzmer standing beside a coin-topped folk sculpture.

Plate 02 — Painted rider of Uncle Sam, featured on the book cover of "Son of a Dakota Twister."

Plate 03 — Kent’s sketch of a witch-like figure holding candles.

Plate 04 — A handwritten letter to Kent, expressing interest in purchasing more of his sculptures.

Plate 05 — Carved wall-mounted profile wearing a painted feathered headdress.

Plate 06 — Detail of Kent Gutzmer’s Bugs Bunny sculpture.

Plate 07 — Views of Kent Gutzmer’s workshop and Humpty Dumpty sculpture.

Plate 08 — Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse sculptures displayed in Kent Gutzmer’s front yard.

Plate 09 — Kent Gutzmer in his woodshop surrounded by tools, lumber, and works in progress.

Plate 10 — Gutzmer’s Bride and Groom in the living room.

Plate 11 — Detail of Kent Gutzmer’s Uncle Sam sculpture.

Plate 12 — Kent Gutzmer and a family member with three of his sculptures in the front yard.

Plate 13 — Gutzmer’s sculptural interpretation of characters from The Wizard of Oz.

Plate 14 — Gutzmer’s Minnie and Mickey Mouse sculptures.

Plate 15 — Detail of Gutzmer’s Alice in Wonderland sculpture.

In the Press

Recent coverage of Kent Gutzmer’s work and the publication of Son of a Dakota Twister.

In the Press

Recent coverage of Kent Gutzmer’s work and the publication of Son of a Dakota Twister.

COLLECTOR’S JOURNAL · SEPTEMBER 1, 2026

Outstanding Folk Art in a Variety of Themes

Collector’s Journal profiles Kent Gutzmer and Son of a Dakota Twister, covering the beginnings of his folk art career, the range of subjects found throughout his work, his restoration work, and the photographs collected in the book.

“Done with artistry, precision and creativity…”

— Kimberley Mathisen, Editor, Collector’s Journal

Read the Feature →

Praise for Son of a Dakota Twister

Readers, collectors, and longtime admirers reflect on Gutzmer’s work — and the legacy preserved in this book.

Praise for Son of a Dakota Twister

Readers, collectors, and longtime admirers reflect on Gutzmer’s work — and the legacy preserved in this book.

“As someone who collects art pieces that spark an emotional reaction, it resonated deeply and reminded me why that instinct matters.

There’s an authenticity in folk artists’ work that’s hard to ignore.”

Julie L | Librarian and lover of history and books

“As someone who collects art pieces that spark an emotional reaction, it resonated deeply and reminded me why that instinct matters.

There’s an authenticity in folk artists’ work that’s hard to ignore.”

Julie L | Librarian and lover of history and books

“The exceptional craftsmanship, careful attention to detail, and distinct personality of each sculpture have established him as an important figure in contemporary outsider folk art.

The rising value of his work at leading auction houses further confirms the significance already evident in the art itself.”

Private Collector

“Kent Gutzmer is a folk art legend. I’ve watched him create a few of his folk art pieces over the years, and I still get amazed by his work!

My husband and I have a few of his pieces, and I will always cherish them. I’m so happy his talent will be shared in Son of a Dakota Twister.”

Bobbie B | Collector of Gutzmer’s work

“Kent Gutzmer is a folk art legend. I’ve watched him create a few of his folk art pieces over the years, and I still get amazed by his work!

My husband and I have a few of his pieces, and I will always cherish them. I’m so happy his talent will be shared in Son of a Dakota Twister.”

Bobbie B | Collector of Gutzmer’s work

“Prior to attending the 2020 Cabin Fever Antique Show, Kent Gutzmer was a name unknown to me.

That changed instantly when a four-foot-tall Uncle Sam sculpture captured my attention from across the exhibition hall.

Today, my curated collection exceeds a dozen of Gutzmer’s works.”

J. N. Jones | Private Collector

“Kent’s ability to capture the nuances of folk art is remarkable, and my wife and I have purchased nine pieces of his work over the years.

I have never seen better examples of folk art than Kent produces. He is an imaginative, creative genius as a carver, and a good friend to us.”

N. O’Hara | Collector of Kent Gutzmer’s work

“Kent’s ability to capture the nuances of folk art is remarkable, and my wife and I have purchased nine pieces of his work over the years.

I have never seen better examples of folk art than Kent produces. He is an imaginative, creative genius as a carver, and a good friend to us.”

N. O’Hara | Collector of Kent Gutzmer’s work

“Son of a Dakota Twister is a beautiful book of Kent Gutzmer’s life and art. We have been blessed to see the great work he does.

Kent’s talent amazes me all the time.”

Laurie H | Publisher