Martin Puryear is a man of many trades. As a child, Puryear had learned how to make guitars, canoes, and furniture. The skills that were required to make these items has helped him with the art he makes now.
The media Puryear uses to create his sculptures and public installations are wood, tar, metal, stone, and wire.
Puryear is very inspired by the history of the making process. Depending on where he's making a piece, that place's unique history of different trades affects the choice of materials he uses. Puryear's pieces are very organic in form, and although many believe this organic quality is due to an influence by nature, he explains that the influence is actually by the evolution of culture.
Puryear's works are usually non-objective in form, taking on these organically shaped masses. Texture plays a big part in Puryear's pieces as well. Most of this texture is due to the way he treats a certain material, like when he chiseled pock marks into stone to give it a rougher appearance. Other than changing the texture of the surfaces, Puryear usually uses and leaves the materials as they are without adding anything to it.
When it comes to Puryear's art, he feels like he doesn't have to explain it. He believes the art should speak for itself.
Information provided by:
"Martin Puryear." Art21. PBS, n.d. Web. 15 2014.
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