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Purvis Young (1943-2010), American Artist, Untitle

Currency:USD Category:Antiques Start Price:500.00 USD Estimated At:25,000.00 - 50,000.00 USD
Purvis Young (1943-2010), American Artist, Untitle
Purvis Young (1943-2010), American Artist, Untitled (Prison Angels), c. 1970, house paint on plywood depicting handcuffed and shackled African American figures with golden halos. Size: 48 inches x 22 inches. Provenance: Jupiter Island Estate Consignor purchased this work of art directly from Purvis Young in the early 70's in Overtown well before he gained fame as an artist. Purvis explained that while incarcerated he was able to see Angels looking after certain prisoners and through this divine intervention he was "chosen" to become a self taught painter. History: As a teenager Purvis Young served three years (1961-64) in prison at North Florida's Raiford State Penitentiary where he regain his interest in art and began drawing and studying art books. When released, he began to produce thousands of small drawings, which he kept in shopping carts and later glued into discarded books and magazines that he found on the streets. Young was an American artist from the Overtown neighborhood of Miami, Florida. Young's work, often a blend of collage and painting, utilizes found objects and the experience of African Americans in the south. A self-taught artist, Young gained recognition as a cult contemporary self-taught artist, with a collectors' following including the likes of Jane Fonda, Damon Wayans, Jim Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, among others. In 2006 a feature documentary entitled Purvis of Overtown was produced about his life and work. His work is found in the collections of the American Folk Art Museum, the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the High Museum of Art, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, among others. Visit Purvis Young Museum, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Estimated more than 50 yrs. old. Fine Art. (Photos Represent The Lot Condition, Pangaea Auctions)
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