Martin Puryear

American artist Martin Puryear is known for his post-Minimalist sculptures that combine modernist geometry with traditional craft. He worked in many mediums, including painting, drawing and print-making, before committing to sculpture. Constructed from a variety of materials, including wood, tar, steel, rawhide and stone, Puryear's extensive body of work is influenced by his travel and study in Africa, Europe, Asia and the United States.

Born in 1941 in Washington, D.C., Puryear began honing his wood working skills as a youth trying his hand at furniture, musical instruments, and canoes. After earning his B.A. from Catholic University in Washington D.C., Puryear joined the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone, and later studied print making at the Swedish Royal Academy of Art. He received an MFA in sculpture from Yale University in 1971.