Martin Puryear creates sculpture from raw wood, painted and stained wood, rawhide, tar, and wire. This website opens with a quote from Puryear describing his artistic style. He enjoys referential art that signify certain things without actually representing them. When I first viewed his work, I noticed how the textures of the materials he used were accentuated. Rather than masking or altering the material, Puryear exposed their natural elements. You are able to see the original grooves in the wood or the sticky texture of tar. This made each piece have a very organic and natural feel, which contradicted with the unusual forms they took. I had a hard time understanding the purpose of his structures. They were constructed like they had a specific function, however, there had none. They were just a variety of random shapes. The more I studied each sculpture, I began to think how maybe these aren’t random shapes at all. It was like trying to imagine objects from the assortment of shapes clouds create in the sky. Each shape started morphing into something I could relate with, sometimes machinery, sometimes just everyday objects. For example, one piece reminded me of a construction crane, another reminded me of a milk jug. However, I feel that different people would perceive different objects from these pieces based on their own experiences. Martin Puryear used natural materials to construct imaginary shapes. However, he did this purposefully so his audience would be able to relate to these forms in their own personal way.
In an interview with NPR, Kendal Buster states that there is no difference between art and science. Since she is a microbiologist, many of her pieces were inspired by the images she saw through a microscope. She generally constructs her sculptures from steel and shadecloth. However, she has experimented with other interesting mediums as well, including poly-carbonate plastic, aircraft cable, ballistic nylon, wood, Velcro, ski rope, pvc inflatables, insect screening, beeswax, wire, etc. I think these materials are extremely unique, especially since there are so many different kinds that you normally wouldn’t expect in a piece of art. Although Buster bases her sculptures off of the abnormal and extraordinary things she views under microscopes, I find the forms are still very familiar. I feel like many people would find them easy to relate too, because of their rounded features. The smooth curves are very easy to follow and can be viewed as almost welcoming. Many of her sculptures look very surreal and futuristic. They are also aesthetic from the inside out. Since most of them are covered in netting, we are able to see the inside of the sculptures. Although the figures are mainly rounded shapes, their inner structures are very linear. It is almost like a grid or map. Seeing how the sculptures fit together makes them very interactive. Buster even makes pieces that you can stand in or walk through. They are so amazing and bizarre that it is like walking into a whole different world. Kendal Buster creates incredible sculptures that people can relate to, even though they are inspired by things that can’t be seen by the naked eye.
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