DIARIO 01, ISSUE 13

“May You Live in Interesting Times”

On May 11th, the 58th Biennale International Art Exhibition opened in Venice with a solo show by artist Martin Puryear representing the United States Pavilion.

Martin Puryear's Swallowed Sun (Monstrance and Volute) (2019) at the U.S. Pavilion in Venice, 2019. Image courtesy Andrea Merola/EPA.

Although idea and form are ultimately paramount in my work, so too are chance, accident, and rawness.

MARTIN PURYEAR.

Martin Puryear is widely regarded as one of the most distinguished sculptors in the U.S. During his training as an artist Puryear traveled in Sierra Leone, Sweden, and Japan, always learning the craft of local carpenters and craftsmen. His preference for using unadulterated materials and clearly visible methods of construction has been evident since early in his career, combined with his interest in large outdoor works. He works on both site-specific installations and smaller-scale works from his studio in Upstate New York.

One of his best-known sculptures, Ladder for Booker T. Washington (1996), consists of a thirty-six-foot-tall serpentine ladder that tapers at the top so as to exaggerate a perspectival illusion of distance and inaccessibility. Puryear has created public art projects and had solo exhibitions all over the world and now is representing the United States at the Biennale in Venice with a collection entitled Liberty.

Martin Puryear at the U.S. Pavilion in Venice, 2019. Image courtesy Yasunori Matsui/New York Times.

Martin Puryear's Ladder For Booker T. Washington (1996). Image courtesy New American Paintings

Martin Puryear's “New Voortrekker,” 2018. Image courtesy Joshua White/New York Times

Martin Puryear, Big Bling (2016), installation view in Madison Square Park, New York. Courtesy of Matthew Marks Gallery. © Martin Puryear. Photo: Yasunori Matsui

Lorenzo Quinn, Building Bridges (2019) at Venice. Image courtesy Halcyon Art International

The Art Biennale has been promoting contemporary visual art every two years since its first edition in 1895. For its 58th edition, its two major locations, Arsenale and Giardini, will host 79 artists and 90 national participations from May 11th until November 24th. This year the title, May You Live in Interesting Times, evokes a view of art’s social function. The title is an ancient Chinese curse, because “interesting” can also mean dangerous and uncertain. The curator Ralph Rugoff announced that this year’s exhibitions will focus on art that reflects “juggling diverse ways of making sense of the world.” When he contacted Martin Puryear, the 77-year-old artist was already working on the eight sculptures that will be displayed at the United States Pavilion. His solo exhibition is a unique example of Puryear’s style and methods, while also displaying an intensified response to current social concerns.

Every edition of the Biennale is a special journey through art as a reflection of modern times, and this year is particularly exciting because, among the 90 national participations, four newcomers will be contributing for the first time: Algeria, Ghana, Madagascar, and Pakistan. Additionally, the Dominican Republic and the Republic of Kazakhstan will have their own national pavilion for the first time at the Biennale Arte. Other Biennale highlights include the ‘Barca Nostra’ by Christoph Büchel, and the Ghana Pavilion debut curated by Nana Oforiatta Ayim.