Purvis Young (1943 – 2010 )

Purvis Young on a rare trip outside Overtown

Northport, Alabama - October 1998 

Purvis Young was first discovered by the art community in 1972 when he painted a series of murals on a row of abandoned buildings called "Good Bread Alley" in the economically depressed section of Miami known as Overtown.  He created wonderful pieces from plywood boards and house paint and attached them to the buildings. His obsession to create made him realize that he could express himself and be heard. 

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.