All Things Considered

Martin Puryear
Posted by Angie Lewin

We visited New York in November, arriving with the genuine intention that we’d be blogging on a daily basis. That didn’t quite work out, and this is the first of a handful of retrospective blogs.

Whilst we were there, the first large-scale exhibition of Martin Puryear’s work opened at The Museum of Modern Art.

Born in 1941, Puryear came to prominence in the 1970’s as a gifted member of the post-Minimalist generation. Whilst his sculpture draws upon many varied sources of imagery, you’re always aware of the personal and handcrafted nature of the work - widely celebrated for its mystery and allusiveness.

The sculptures, created with traditional materials - red cedar, willow, tar, wire mesh, hemp rope and rawhide - display wonderful craftsmanship and many have the qualities of agricultural tools.

In the central 1st floor gallery space (which is the full height of the building) a beautifully crafted  wooden ladder stretches with exaggerated perspective to the highest point alongside a piece incorporating found cartwheels.

The exhibition runs until January 14th 2008. The catalogue is great too.

Posted by Angie Lewin on December 23rd, 2007