Martin Puryear's Chimera: Surrealist Abstraction and the Legacy of Brancusi
A significant retrospective of Martin Puryear, curated by the Museum of Modern Art in New York, is set to tour various locations: the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth from February 24 to May 28, the National Gallery of Art in Washington from June 22 to September 28, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art from November 1, 2008, to January 25, 2009. This exhibition chronicles Puryear's evolution from minimalist pieces to sculptures that merge surrealist abstraction with traditional craftsmanship. His experiences studying at Yale in the late 1960s and his first solo exhibition in 1972, showcasing stacked wooden beams, were pivotal. Additionally, his Peace Corps tenure in Sierra Leone (1963–1966) and studies in Sweden influenced his artistic vision, with his works reflecting utilitarian forms and nodding to Constantin Brancusi’s legacy.
Key facts
- Retrospective at MoMA New York travels to Fort Worth, Washington, and San Francisco.
- Puryear studied at Yale University sculpture department in late 1960s.
- First solo exhibition at Henri 2 Gallery, Washington, in 1972.
- Second solo exhibition in 1973 featured surrealist abstraction.
- Served in Peace Corps in Sierra Leone from 1963 to 1966.
- Studied at Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm and with a cabinetmaker.
- Influenced by Joseph Beuys, Marcel Duchamp, and Constantin Brancusi.
- Works described as 'chimera' blending formalist abstraction and surrealism.
Entities
Artists
- Martin Puryear
- Constantin Brancusi
- Joseph Beuys
- Marcel Duchamp
- Eva Hesse
- Bruce Nauman
- Louise Bourgeois
- Donald Judd
- Tony Smith
- Robert Morris
- Gilberto Zorio
- Giuseppe Penone
- Michael Fried
- Lucy Lippard
- Robert Storr
- Neal Benezra
- David Bourdon
- Ulf Linde
- Didier Ottinger
Institutions
- Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York
- Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
- National Gallery of Art, Washington
- San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
- Yale University
- Henri 2 Gallery, Washington
- Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Stockholm
- Moderna Museet, Stockholm
- Center for Contemporary Art, Gateshead
- Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin
- San Jose Museum of Art
- Donald Young Gallery, Chicago
- Artforum
- Washington Post
- Peace Corps
- Thonet
- Brummer Gallery
- University of Chicago
Locations
- New York
- Fort Worth
- Washington
- San Francisco
- Stockholm
- Sweden
- Sierra Leone
- Venice
- Paris
- Chicago
- Gateshead
- United Kingdom
- Dublin
- Ireland
- San Jose
- California
Sources
- artpress —