Episode 19: Martin Puryear (Audio Version)
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Episode 19 Description:
Contemporary artist Martin Puryear was trained first as a craftsman of objects intended for use, such as guitars, canoes, and furniture, and only later as an artist of objects to be viewed and contemplated—etchings, paintings, and sculptures. This diverse training developed in Puryear an exceptional sensitivity to the media in which he works, such that he seems always to be struggling between two poles of creative inspiration: the artist's drive to bring a particular concept to life in a physical medium, and the craftsman's desire to engage the medium with an open mind and spirit to see what ideas it brings forth. This tension is embodied in the often massive yet gloriously approachable objects this world renowned sculptor brings to life. "My vehicle typically is to make work that is about the presentation of the work itself and what went into the making of the work as an object," Puryear said in a recent PBS documentary. "There's a story in the making of objects. There's a narrative in the fabrication of things, which to me is fascinating." To view Puryear's work is to see that story, and feel its fascination in a visceral manner.
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Posted at 12:03PM Oct 18, 2008
by rich in General |
