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Considered one of the preeminent sculptors of our era, Martin Puryear creates large-scale, evocative works that are often ambiguous in both form and meaning. Inspired by time spent in Sierra Leone as a Peace Corps volunteer, Puryear became interested in woodcarving and organic forms; he later expanded these interests by apprenticing to Swedish cabinet-makers and boat builders. The Nightmare, like all of his sculptures, is a beautifully designed and crafted piece whose appearance can provoke contradictory interpretations and responses. The shape, for example, has been associated with a calabash or indigenous South American drinking vessel, while its closed neck and dark patina have been linked to hand grenades and war.Martin Puryear American1941Washington, DC The Nightmarec. 2001Wood (Douglas fir, red cedar, pear, apple, cherry, ebony, redwood) painted black53 3/4 × 74 5/8 × 51University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Olga N. Sheldon Acquisition TrustU-5255.2003