Purvis Young
American, 1943 - 2010
(1943-2010) Purvis Young was born in Liberty City, Florida in 1943. His Miami neighborhood, Overtown, was partially razed by the creation of Interstate 95, and became a poverty-stricken, violence-ridden and drelict area. Young was a product of this environment, and eventually spent three years in Raiford State Penitentary (1961-4) for a breaking and entering charge. After he was released, Young turned a corner and wanted to uplift his community. He substituted a lack of formal education with intensive reading and became proficient in the history of art. After learning of the “Freedom Walls” created by artists in Detroit and Chicago, Young decided to create his own in 1972. He applied his personal world views to the medium of paint and collage of found materials, creating a visual language with a mural located at the intersection of Northwest third and 14th street in Overtown, coined “Good Bread Alley.”
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