Reflection on Martin Puryear

Martin Puryear has a similar thinking process compared to my own. He tries to reference one thing with another without being too direct or obvious.  For instance, an arch sculpture of Puryear’s can be associated with St. Louis because of the famous arch located in that city. Sculptures that do not necessarily resemble an exact object are the ones that I find myself spending more time in analyzing. I rather spend time in a museum that has more abstract art than art that you can spot and know exactly what you are viewing right away. For instance, for our second project, I want to create a seat that does not look like a traditional seat. It does not have to have a vertical straight back or four legs to support it. I will explore ways to make it easily seen as something to sit on and comfortably, but not so obvious that my dining room table has the same set of chairs that I see every day. Another aspect that I enjoy in Puryear’s work is the diversity. Not all of his works come from American inspiration. Some ideas grow from his experiences in Europe or Africa. Diversity keeps the viewer interested and guessing what is coming next. If all chairs resembled American style during this project, we may get bored and stop wanting to see more. However, if one chair has an Asian feel to it while another clearly resembles Italian background; we are more likely to keep our curiosity of the project’s possibilities at hand. Puryear also uses what he knows and has learned from to create more art. However, he does not feel like as an artist that the spectators need to have much knowledge of where the work originated from or when it came to be. I believe the same, in my own way. Some works, if they are expressing the history of a culture, may need more explanations of where and when they were created. If they work is just spontaneous or for the purpose of just function, background is not really needed. To conclude, I agree that works of art should not just be for the purpose of someone to display them or use them. I believe that each work should have a moral or meaning behind it. The titles of Puryear’s sculptures tell me that he wants that to come out in his art. For example, Puryear has sculptures called Desire and Believer. The titles make the viewer want to analyze the work more because they are relatable to almost anyone. I will make sure to name my seat that I design and create, something that leaves my classmates in wonder.