Reflection on Martin Puryear

Martin Puryear’s website exhibits works of art and many of those works of art exemplify some sort of relationship. The second piece on the website shows 2 wooden sticks or shafts; one of the sticks is a semi-circle, the other is a straight stick. Neither piece could stand up on its own, but together, the semi-circle holds up the semi-circle, and itself, also. There is one with a thin wheel being held up by a long rod connected to a base. This work uses wood and weaving of the wood on the base to hold down the wheel. Unlike the first one, a mutual relationship is not shown because the base could certainly stand up with out the rod and, or, wheel. These works of art on his website are all basic, but captivating at the same time because he obviously has a reason for the way they are all constructed. Sometimes it can be easy to see, and other times it cannot.