Untitled (Assemblage) 1967

‘I’ve never been happy with the little things that hang on the wall. I perceived art as a tool for change… a potential saviour.’ Can art change the world? What is the relationship between art and society? 💭 Noah Purifoy (1917-2004) was an African-American artist whose work bridges the gap between visual art and the community. As well as holding the position of Director of Social Services in the Central City Community Mental Health Centre, Purifoy was responsible for the creation of hundreds of three-dimensional artworks constructed from found materials. 🛠️ In this untitled assemblage created in 1967, Purifoy has combined diverse objects into one unified composition, mounted on a sheet of plywood. Zoom into the sculpture – what objects can you identify? The artist has included objects often considered ‘junk’, from broken shoes and rags, alongside prestigious objects such as printed copy of a university diploma. At the age of 39, Purifoy became the first Black man to graduate from the Chouinard Art Institute in California. 🏜️ As a community-focused artist, Purifoy worked for enhanced accessibility and education for Black artists. His works reject institutional definitions of what constitutes art in order to address discrimination and exclusions. By selecting an array of discarded and damaged objects, Purifoy questions the relative value assigned to artworks and transforms the mundane into the exceptional. Though it may first appear as a random jumble of objects, ‘Untitled’ (1967) expresses an essential social realism. 🏡 Noah Purifoy worked tirelessly to tackle race-based prejudice, both within the art world and wider society. He passed away in 2004 as a result of a fire in his home. His legacy of accessible arts endures to this day: Purifoy’s work is immortalised in the Desert Art Museum of Assemblage Art, an open-air museum set in the California desert. The museum is open from sunrise until sunset each day, and offers free entry for all. Even in death, Purifoy defies the restrictions of the gallery space and subverts traditions of display. 🏛️ Editor: Lucy Jude Grantham