An Uncanny Perspective: Sculptures by Martin Puryear

Author

Jake B. DeMartini, CUNY City CollegeFollow

Date of Award

2024

Document Type

Thesis

Department

Art History

First Advisor

Lise Kjaer

Second Advisor

Craig Houser

Third Advisor

Craig Houser

Keywords

Uncanny, Martin Puryear, Sigmund Freud, Sculpture, Modern Art, African American History

Abstract

An Uncanny Perspective: Sculptures by Martin Puryear will demonstrate how Puryear (b.1941) both aesthetically and conceptually evokes narratives found in Sigmund Freud’s (1856-1939) theories of the uncanny, specifically signifiers of darkness, unfamiliarity and secrecy. This employment of the uncanny in sculpture aids Puryear’s ability to address a range of aesthetics and provides a striking lens through which he addresses the collective history of violence and servitude within the African American experience. In applying Freud’s theories to several works by Puryear, this thesis will reveal how elements of the uncanny activate a questioning of narratives around terror and fear. Using methods of psychoanalysis and post-colonial theory, in combination with art-historical documentation and journalism, I will investigate a deeper layer of inquiry. Puryear’s work remains veiled under a screen of mystery, ambiguity and abstraction, beckoning the viewer to analyze and sort through layers of meaning.

Recommended Citation

DeMartini, Jake B., "An Uncanny Perspective: Sculptures by Martin Puryear" (2024). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cc_etds_theses/1226