Sheldon

Martin Puryear
The Nightmare (2001-2002)

 

At Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery, Martin Puryear's massive wooden sculpture, The Nightmare, is primitive and modern, familiar yet mysterious. Puryear's art is inspired by the clash between the traditional Africa he experience in the Peace Corps and his upbringing as an African-American in urban Washington, DC. He has handcrafted red cedar into the shape of a calabash gourd used as a water vessel by indigenous tropical Americans. The sculpture is constructed of thin cedar strips applied over a heavy wood armature, with rounded protrusions and recesses. Painted black, it takes on an ominous tone, reflecting (or suggesting) the dangers of world politics and warfare. The Nightmare is an art treasure of Nebraska at Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery.