+ Expand
Dimensions: 78 by 13 by 6 in. 198.2 by 33 by 15.2 cm.
+ Expand
Provenance: Acquired by the present owner directly from the artist in 1994
+ Expand
Notes: Martin Puryear marries the realm of the craftsman with that of the Artist. Having traveled extensively visiting and learning from African and Native American carpenters, Puryear exalts the value of the hand-made and the sanctity of the natural materials with which he works. Struck by the power of Minimalist form at the Venice Biennale in 1968, Puryear began to produce a modest number of sculptures that sought to capture the power of Minimalism and primary forms. Rejecting the industrial manufactured materials employed by Minimalists such as Donald Judd and Dan Flavin, Puryear's sculptures are informed by the method of craft and use exclusively materials from the earth. The present work is a sublimely elegant form that simultaneously projects the Minimalist's aesthetic theory while echoing the values and skills of Craft traditions.