Martin Puryear primarily works in wood, often on a large scale, but the artist has also long explored how formal practices such as minimalist sculpture align with traditional crafts like woodworking and basket weaving. Puryear initially designed this functional bench for the courtyard of Manhattan’s New School for Social Research—the artist completed the MFA’s bench seen here a year before installing its twin at the New School in 1997. The bench was fabricated from stainless steel plate that was cut then welded to create the lattice pattern that invites air and light into the work.

Stainless steel.

Gift of Ann and Graham Gund.

2023.490