Over the last thirty years, Martin Puryear has created a body of work that defies categorization, creating sculpture that examines identity, culture and history. Departing from the impersonal and mechanical aesthetic of Minimalism, Puryear's work combines modernist abstraction and the traditions of crafts and woodworking, in shapes informed by the natural and by ordinary objects, made with materials such as tar, wood, stone and wire. This book accompanies an exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art that follows Puryear's development from his first solo show, in 1977, to new works that will be presented for the first time at the exhibition. With essays by John Elderfield, Michael Auping and Elizabeth Reede, and a conversation with the artist by Richard Powell, it will be essential reading for anyone interested in the artist.