Artist Reactions

Martin Puryear

The most common feeling that came from witnessing Puryear's work was one of almost familiarity. A lot of his designs seemed to resemble something familiar, yet it was different enough to appear strange. For instance, I recognize a wheel in his piece 'Ad Astra' and the connecting spherical shape makes it look like a wagon, but the structure isn't a wagon. The piece that would, in theory, connect to the horse reaches to the top of a tall ceiling "through hardships," appearing to continue forever.

Another piece, called 'Untitled', reminded me of a Brontosaurus holding a bolder on a rope. I'm not entirely sure what it is, since the title gives no indication on the theme, but it still sparked a sense of familiarity. I recognize that symbol, even if it looks a little off from what I remember.

The majority of his pieces feel organic, yet have a very strong structural feeling. A significant amount of the sculptures revealed the structure within, making it look very well thought out and sturdy, yet the overall shape have organic curves, lines, and asymmetry.

When we were shown Puryear's work, initially I wasn't sure how it pertained to this assignment. Very few of his structures were furniture and none of them used cardboard as a material. However, after I focused on the pieces that revealed the structuring within, I was able to start visualizing how a chair could be built.

Kendall Buster

There is something whimsical about all of Buster's installations. They are larger than life, yet delicate and fragile, appearing as though they could rip or break the moment you touch them. The pieces that allow for viewers to interact with the physical space in and around them intrigue me the most. I want to explore inside. I want to look up from below and see the end, if there is one. I wonder what it feels and looks like from within. Since most of her pieces are life size (if not larger), her work plays with our personal space. They are large enough to interact with, and most provide a space that is inviting, asking you to be curious.
The installations that are on the ceiling look so majestic and unreal. What do they look like from below?  Is there a way to see it from above? Probably not, but I want to! Her installations somehow make me want to see her work from every angle possible.
Buster's structures are strongly geometric, yet organic in its flow, asymmetry, and material. They look as though they could float away if they weren't tied down, yet finding out that they are made out of steel frames and cloth, you realize they are stronger than they look. The shapes of her structures are also organically familiar, reminding me of animals in the sea or organic chemistry molecular shapes, but their size make the pieces somewhat strange. Because of the curves and soft lines in the pieces, they appear to be more inviting and less hostile. I would imagine a rigid or spikey structure would look as though it were invading the installation space as opposed to belonging there.
I loved being able to see the structure of things through her work. In terms of understanding form, I found Buster's work to be really helpful in visualizing how something could structurally come together. Since my final chair idea is in the shape of a sphere, it was beneficial for me to be able to see the grid-like patterns that are commonly used in making a spherical structure.