American artist Martin Puryear was born in Washington, DC, and works primarily with natural materials such as wood, stone, and metal. While serving in the Peace Corps, Puryear learned woodworking techniques from artisans in Sierra Leone. Later, he trained in printmaking at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts in Stockholm, and in sculpture at Yale University. Puryear is best known for making handmade sculptures carved in wood, which range from organic forms inspired by nature to abstracted objects. Big Phrygian, 2010–2014, and The Load, 2012, both in Glenstone’s collection, are examples of the latter. The Load, made from several different types of wood—pine, red cedar, ash, and maple—as well as steel and glass, marries a hollow found carriage with a sculpture of a giant eye. Puryear collaborated with furniture fabricator Michael Hurwitz to create the centerpiece bench in Room 7 of the Pavilions, made of hickory with a maple veneer.

–Kati Borchelt, from the Glenstone Field Guide