Sculpture Forum 18: Martin Puryear at Matthew Marks Gallery, NYC

[@garyreams8123]

As far as I'm concerned, Martin Puryear is simply one of the best if not the absolute best artist in America. His work is mysterious, unpredictable but always intriguing and totally original. There is always something to see in his work. Walk by it 100 times and you can always find and see something new that you haven't noticed before. One little thing at a time and one huge thing. And then there is the craftsmanship perfectly executed. Do you know how hard it is to make some of these objects. How hard it is to cut, sand and fit all of the many parts together? PERFECTLY? Angles all matching and fitting together. PERFECTLY? Very, very difficult. And it's not just the craftsmanship and execution,....It's the ideas,....it's the totally original from another planet ideas. What are these things? Where do they come from? They're from our American history and the founders and slave days unique to our history and faults and freedom. The transition from wood and cane to bronze is very interesting and probably very difficult and very expensive to do. Not an easy task, but very worthwhile. A new dimension and audience perhaps. There was a very large retrospective of Puryears work at the Modern in Fort Worth. I think it was the best show that was ever there. We have Puryear's "Ladder For Booker T. Washington" on permanent display there. Proud to own it. (If you can really ever OWN art.)

[@cliffdariff74]

sometimes pure craftsmanship takes away.. from pure art.

[@juliamargaretcameron]

Another fabulous video. How elegantly shot with plenty of spacing. Because of Maud Fry's deft cinematography- even the entrance of visitors only enhancing rather interfere with the work. Last but not least is the sound of Garth Evan's British voice which lends an extra texture : gravely..carefully spaced.

[@maudbryt]

Thanks for your thoughts. I agree about Garth Evans’s voice. He thinks as he speaks and you can tell there’s a lot of knowledge and experience going on.

[@1927chet]

Martin Puyear is an incredible talent. Brilliant man.

[@joeramirogarcia]

great review to watch , love the show / artist and art too.

[@rOBBIE800]

Glad I found this channel

[@JohnKeys-p8i]

Martin Puryear's work sets the observer on an immediate path inward, as Puryear engages his power of imagination with the profoundly skilled hands, of a supremely skilled craftsman. I encourage that Martin Puryear's work be experienced in a gallery, since photographs of this artist's work are inadequate for reading the storytelling experience that these works bring to life. The range of Puryear's art, rules a visual realm native to both Surrealism and to avenues central to Minimalism traditions. Puryear's work advances Art history going forward, by reshuffling the vocabulary applied to sculptural content.

[@robertspies4695]

Talking or writing about art is challenging as we expect langusge to connect us to one another and the relationship between an art work, the emotion it invokes and in turn the language to describe that emotion are individual and very subjective. So, I am not sure I got much from the dialog overlain on this exhibition. I love Puryear's work though.

[@larivieremark]

Both Brancusi and Puryear are highly influenced by furniture and the craft of the making. Each from their own backgrounds and heritage. I think of Bartok and Copeland and the influence they took from country song. They both benefited from their sources.

[@s.k.3891]

What the first piece (happy jack) reminds me of is Babylonian seated goddess statues (headless of course).

[@harrygeorgeson3092]

Beautifully crafted thingamajiggs. C' mon guys please take a stab at Puryears content. Like Geist did with Brancusis' stools cup and table. Do not revert to enigmas within enigmas .

[@cliffdariff74]

the last piece just looks like a jig or table for fabrication. something you'd find in a shop. not a sculpture.

[@charlestaylor6279]

Total and utter rubbish ! Total crap. Anyone who gives this any kind of approval should get round to his doctors quick ! We must do MUCH better that this. Cave men produced better stuff. In Greece and Rome they produced real art 2000 years ago This is simply taking the piss No doubt the artist will be offended, I say If you can't stand the heat stay out of the kitchen.