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In the 34 years since then,
Mr. Young has created wonderful works of art mostly on found
objects such as plywood, upholstery fabric, curtains, and poster
board. He often sketches in cast-off books, painting directly over
the printed words. His penchant for drawing in books was
discovered at the Miami-Dade public library, where he was observed
doing this very thing by library employees. Instead of admonishing
him, they recognized Purvis' talent and began supplying him with
cast-off books to draw in. The art world owes a debt of gratitude
to these folks that can never be repaid, as Purvis has created
hundreds of these wonderful sketch books from castaways given to
him by the Miami-Dade public library.
Surrounding
himself with the poverty and hopelessness of Overtown, a forgotten
backwater within a stones throw of glitter and prosperity of
Miami, Young creates images that both captivate and challenge
the viewer. His work is highly symbolic. Horses and trucks are
often featured in his work and are representative of freedom,
while railroad tracks signify division. Large heads floating
above a crowd represent angels and good people.
Much has been written and
said about Purvis' work. When asked about Purvis Young, Jane Fonda
replied "The
first thing that struck me was the hopefulness of the work."
There is indeed hope within Purvis' brush, as Purvis
himself has said, he paints because he has to. He is compelled
from within to show the struggle of man and the hope for a better
future. Yet his greatest hope is that one day he can put the brush
down.
His ability as a painter is
world-renowned. Kathy Moses has a very good section on Purvis
Young in her Book "Outsider Art of the South," which is
available on our books
page.
An award-winning documentary
has been produced about Purvis entitled "Purvis of Overtown."
You may see a trailer here.
Racked by diabetes and
hampered by kidney dialysis, Purvis' output has diminished
considerably. Recent auction prices for his work have indeed been
staggering. While followers of Folk and Outsider Art have long
been aware of Purvis' importance, Fine Art Collectors have
recently discovered him and are acquiring his work with great
enthusiasm. |