Erin Hepper- Entry #2
Today in class we watched a mini documentary on the work of Martin Puryear. I found Puryear’s work to be very intriguing and I had a lot of respect for his creations. In particular, his “Ladder for Booker T. Washington” immediately caught my eye since I had never seen anything like it before. The historical title relates to Booker T. Washington’s struggle in making progress for the African American race, and the notion that “where you start and where you want to get to and how far away it really is. And if it's possible to get there given the circumstances that you're operating within.” After reading an interview with Puryear, it is quite clear that his piece is all about perspective.
Upon further research, I was also surprised to find that Puryear titled his piece after it was finished. His main focus was creating a perspective that was exaggerated and wanted to make the ladder appear as though it was receding into space. He also stated that he enjoyed creating this piece and the way it turned out, despite the fact that it was difficult to construct. The piece is thirty-six feet long (four stories) and constructed out of an ash sapling. I found the curvature in the wooden ladder and the narrowing towards the top to somewhat play on the theme of perspective. Literally, upon viewing it I am sure that it appears as though the ladder really does recede up into space, but it also deals with perspective in a more figurative sense. It is quite possible that Puryear’s narrowing ladder is symbolic of the narrowing opportunity for hope and equality that Booker T. Washington and other African American’s experienced. Overall, I have a lot of respect for Puryear's work and how it is not only visually appealing, but also extremely though provoking.
No comments:
Post a Comment