247:
215:, composed of roughly 50 works of art made from salvaged materials as a way to "interpret the August event." The exhibition premiered at Markham Junior High School (April 3–9, 1966) with work by six artists and later traveled to nine state universities in California, eventually traveling to other venues throughout the United States. For 20 years following the uprising, Purifoy dedicated himself to the found object, and to using art as a tool for social change.
266:
created by the artist between 1989 and 2004. While giving the appearance of a salvage yard with tires, bathroom fixtures, TVs, ragged clothes, toys and vacuum cleaners, each piece has a story to tell. One piece has a water fountain labeled “White” and a toilet labeled “Colored”. The museum is open to
275:
Two retrospectives of
Purifoy's work have been organized. In 1997, the California African American Museum in Exposition Park mounted the first. In 2015, LACMA mounted a retrospective, relocating many of his works from the outdoor museum:
237:
from the late 1970s through late 1980s, initiating programs such as
Artists in Social Institutions, bringing art into the state prison system. He then moved to the southern Mojave Desert to create artworks.
258:, and over the last fifteen years of his life built what is now the Noah Purifoy Outdoor Sculpture Museum. Located on 10 acres (4.0 ha) of open land near the town of
571:
519:
197:). Purifoy was the first African American to enroll there as a full-time student and earned his BFA in 1956, just before his fortieth birthday.
158:, as one of thirteen siblings. Noah lived and worked most of his life in Los Angeles and Joshua Tree, California, where he died in 2004. During
767:
762:
291:(October 2011 - January 2012), Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, California, traveled to MOMA PS1, New York, New York (October 2012 – March 2013);
287:, 1950-1970 (October 2011 - February 2012), Getty Center, Los Angeles, traveled to Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin, Germany (March – June 2012);
747:
742:
732:
757:
727:
439:
752:
622:
702:
308:
167:
493:
697:
717:
408:
262:, the museum contains over one hundred works of art, including large scale assemblages, environmental sculptures, and
722:
313:
737:
189:
and in 1950 he moved to Los
Angeles taking a job at the County Hospital. In 1953, Purifoy enrolled to attend the
466:
178:
129:
as a full-time student and earned his BFA in 1956, just before his fortieth birthday. He is best known for his
318:
364:
338:
572:"'We're here to stay.' Despite isolation and racism, Black Americans feel at home in California's desert"
185:(now Clark Atlanta University) in 1948. Following graduation Noah took a position as a social worker in
114:, and creator of the Noah Purifoy Outdoor Desert Art Museum. He lived and worked most of his life in
181:(now Alabama State University) in 1943 and a graduate degree in social services administration from
219:
111:
259:
234:
190:
126:
119:
75:
63:
267:
the public and is maintained and preserved by the Noah
Purifoy Foundation, established in 1998.
133:
sculpture, including a body of work made from charred debris and wreckage collected after the
674:
596:
544:
712:
707:
8:
649:
520:"Artist Noah Purifoy saw value in the discarded. What if L.A. didn't throw people away?"
227:
182:
155:
44:
627:
413:
391:
263:
211:
uprising of August 1965, Purifoy and artist Judson Powell organized the exhibition
130:
107:
246:
444:
691:
255:
171:
223:
159:
208:
134:
115:
283:
Purifoy's work has been included in seminal group exhibitions including
186:
143:
I do not wish to be an artist. I only wish that art enables me to be.
285:
Pacific
Standard Time: Crosscurrents in L.A. Painting and Sculpture
194:
623:"'Junk Dada' assembles Noah Purifoy's overlooked, pivotal works"
299:(January - May 2018), National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
163:
597:"Noah Purifoy | Now Dig This! digital archive | Hammer Museum"
250:
Noah
Purifoy Outdoor Art Museum in Joshua Tree, California
665:
241:
94:
494:"Make Art Not War: Watts and the Junk Art Conversation"
254:
In 1989, Purifoy moved to a friend's trailer in the
125:
Purifoy was the first
African American to enroll in
545:"Retrospective Exhibition: Noah Purifoy: Junk Dada"
295:, Tate Modern, London (July - October 2017); and
289:Now Dig This! Art and Black Los Angeles 1960-1980
689:
339:"Noah Purify, 86; Assemblage Artist (obituary)"
293:Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power
650:"Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. 1945—1980"
177:Purifoy received an undergraduate degree from
110:visual artist and sculptor, co-founder of the
162:, he served with the United States Navy as a
387:
385:
467:"Pacific Standard Time at the Getty Center"
433:
431:
149:
682:exhibit: June 7, 2015 – February 28, 2016
392:Noah Purifoy Foundation: About the artist
382:
365:"Unearthing Lost Treasures in California"
106:(August 17, 1917 – March 5, 2004) was an
517:
437:
428:
409:"Noah Purifoy, an artist forged by fire"
407:Miranda, Carolina A. (August 13, 2015).
245:
166:, and as a veteran he was buried at the
406:
336:
270:
690:
620:
569:
362:
242:Noah Purifoy Outdoor Desert Art Museum
168:Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery
768:21st-century African-American artists
763:20th-century African-American artists
222:, adjacent to Simon Rodia's landmark
621:Knight, Christopher (June 9, 2015).
537:
491:
402:
400:
748:People from Joshua Tree, California
492:Shaw, Cameron (November 22, 2010).
200:
13:
743:People from Wilcox County, Alabama
733:20th-century American male artists
570:Beason, Tyrone (August 15, 2021).
438:Scharkey, Kristin (May 31, 2017).
297:Outliers and American Vanguard Art
14:
779:
659:
518:Muhammad, Ismail (May 26, 2021).
397:
337:Timberg, Scott (March 9, 2004).
758:Military personnel from Alabama
728:20th-century American sculptors
642:
614:
589:
563:
363:Finkel, Jori (March 13, 2010).
753:Chouinard Art Institute alumni
511:
485:
473:. The Getty Research Institute
459:
356:
330:
179:Alabama State Teachers College
1:
703:American installation artists
440:"What would Noah Purifoy do?"
324:
309:American installation artists
319:Readymades of Marcel Duchamp
154:Purifoy was born in 1917 in
7:
302:
10:
784:
698:African-American sculptors
718:Sculptors from California
471:Artist Bios: Noah Purifoy
218:He was cofounder of the
89:
81:
71:
52:
30:
23:
723:Artists from Los Angeles
314:African-American artists
207:In the months after the
150:Early life and education
738:American male sculptors
677:Noah Purifoy: Junk Dada
668:Noah Purifoy Foundation
278:Noah Purifoy: Junk Dada
260:Joshua Tree, California
235:California Arts Council
220:Watts Towers Art Center
191:Chouinard Art Institute
127:Chouinard Art Institute
112:Watts Towers Art Center
76:Chouinard Art Institute
64:Joshua Tree, California
251:
147:
145:" —Noah Purifoy, 1963
249:
139:
394:. accessed 3.13.2015
271:Work and exhibitions
85:Assemblage Sculpture
233:Purifoy was on the
252:
228:Watts, Los Angeles
183:Atlanta University
156:Snow Hill, Alabama
45:Snow Hill, Alabama
628:Los Angeles Times
576:Los Angeles Times
524:Los Angeles Times
414:Los Angeles Times
343:Los Angeles Times
101:
100:
775:
654:
653:
646:
640:
639:
637:
635:
618:
612:
611:
609:
607:
593:
587:
586:
584:
582:
567:
561:
560:
558:
556:
541:
535:
534:
532:
530:
515:
509:
508:
506:
504:
489:
483:
482:
480:
478:
463:
457:
456:
454:
452:
435:
426:
425:
423:
421:
404:
395:
389:
380:
379:
377:
375:
360:
354:
353:
351:
349:
334:
264:installation art
213:66 Signs of Neon
202:66 Signs of Neon
137:of August 1965.
108:African-American
97:
59:
40:
38:
21:
20:
783:
782:
778:
777:
776:
774:
773:
772:
688:
687:
662:
657:
648:
647:
643:
633:
631:
619:
615:
605:
603:
595:
594:
590:
580:
578:
568:
564:
554:
552:
543:
542:
538:
528:
526:
516:
512:
502:
500:
490:
486:
476:
474:
465:
464:
460:
450:
448:
436:
429:
419:
417:
405:
398:
390:
383:
373:
371:
361:
357:
347:
345:
335:
331:
327:
305:
273:
244:
205:
152:
104:Noah S. Purifoy
95:noahpurifoy.com
93:
67:
61:
57:
48:
42:
41:August 17, 1917
36:
34:
26:
17:
16:American artist
12:
11:
5:
781:
771:
770:
765:
760:
755:
750:
745:
740:
735:
730:
725:
720:
715:
710:
705:
700:
686:
685:
672:
661:
660:External links
658:
656:
655:
641:
613:
588:
562:
536:
510:
498:East of Borneo
484:
458:
445:The Desert Sun
427:
396:
381:
369:New York Times
355:
328:
326:
323:
322:
321:
316:
311:
304:
301:
272:
269:
243:
240:
230:, California.
204:
199:
151:
148:
122:, California.
99:
98:
91:
87:
86:
83:
82:Known for
79:
78:
73:
69:
68:
62:
60:(aged 86)
54:
50:
49:
43:
32:
28:
27:
24:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
780:
769:
766:
764:
761:
759:
756:
754:
751:
749:
746:
744:
741:
739:
736:
734:
731:
729:
726:
724:
721:
719:
716:
714:
711:
709:
706:
704:
701:
699:
696:
695:
693:
683:
679:
678:
673:
671:
669:
664:
663:
651:
645:
630:
629:
624:
617:
602:
601:Hammer Museum
598:
592:
577:
573:
566:
550:
546:
540:
525:
521:
514:
499:
495:
488:
472:
468:
462:
447:
446:
441:
434:
432:
416:
415:
410:
403:
401:
393:
388:
386:
370:
366:
359:
344:
340:
333:
329:
320:
317:
315:
312:
310:
307:
306:
300:
298:
294:
290:
286:
281:
279:
268:
265:
261:
257:
256:Mojave Desert
248:
239:
236:
231:
229:
225:
221:
216:
214:
210:
203:
198:
196:
192:
188:
184:
180:
175:
173:
172:Rittman, Ohio
169:
165:
161:
157:
146:
144:
138:
136:
132:
128:
123:
121:
117:
113:
109:
105:
96:
92:
88:
84:
80:
77:
74:
70:
65:
56:March 5, 2004
55:
51:
46:
33:
29:
22:
19:
681:
676:
667:
644:
632:. Retrieved
626:
616:
604:. Retrieved
600:
591:
579:. Retrieved
575:
565:
553:. Retrieved
548:
539:
527:. Retrieved
523:
513:
501:. Retrieved
497:
487:
475:. Retrieved
470:
461:
449:. Retrieved
443:
418:. Retrieved
412:
372:. Retrieved
368:
358:
346:. Retrieved
342:
332:
296:
292:
288:
284:
282:
277:
274:
253:
232:
224:Watts Towers
217:
212:
206:
201:
176:
160:World War II
153:
142:
140:
124:
103:
102:
58:(2004-03-05)
25:Noah Purifoy
18:
713:2004 deaths
708:1917 births
634:February 3,
606:February 3,
555:October 13,
209:Watts Riots
135:Watts Riots
120:Joshua Tree
116:Los Angeles
692:Categories
581:August 16,
529:August 16,
325:References
131:assemblage
37:1917-08-17
666:Official
549:LACMA.org
187:Cleveland
72:Education
503:July 16,
477:July 14,
451:July 21,
374:July 14,
348:July 13,
303:See also
675:LACMA:
670:website
551:. LACMA
420:May 19,
195:CalArts
90:Website
164:Seabee
66:, U.S.
47:, U.S.
193:(now
636:2018
608:2018
583:2021
557:2015
531:2021
505:2013
479:2013
453:2019
422:2018
376:2013
350:2013
118:and
53:Died
31:Born
226:in
170:in
694::
680:—
625:.
599:.
574:.
547:.
522:.
496:.
469:.
442:.
430:^
411:.
399:^
384:^
367:.
341:.
280:.
174:.
684:.
652:.
638:.
610:.
585:.
559:.
533:.
507:.
481:.
455:.
424:.
378:.
352:.
141:"
39:)
35:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.