Created by
Young, Purvis, American, 1943 - 2010
Date
1990s
Medium
acrylic paint on fiberboard
Dimensions
H x W x D: 64 11/16 × 47 3/8 × 1/4 in. (164.3 × 120.4 × 0.6 cm)
Caption
Purvis Young was a long-time resident of Overtown, a black neighborhood in Miami, Florida. He began drawing while in jail, after a vision led him to embrace the idea of becoming an artist. He educated himself about the history of art, and focused on a daily routine of making art, much of it on public surfaces and walls.
In Untitled, as in much of Young’s work, angels and horses are prominently featured; angels represent goodness and horses represent freedom. Just as he had found salvation through art, he hoped his own art would bring harmony to his neighborhood, and to the world.
Description
This painting depicts a large mass of abstract human and animal figures rendered in simple brushstrokes. Human figures and horses are aligned in rows, with a burial ground of headstones and crosses through the center. The figures are formed in a series of curving line brushstrokes of black, grey, yellow, and red against a red and yellow background. On the far side of the burial ground, figures on horseback surround an animal figure resembling a buffalo. In the foreground are four dark forms resembling hte back of heads, necks, and shoulders. These heads are surrounded by yellow halos. The top left corner of the fiberboard is missing.
Place made
Miami, Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, North and Central America
Classification
Visual Arts
Type
paintings
Topic
American West
Art
United States History
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Calynne and Lou Hill
Object number
2010.64.2
Restrictions & Rights
© Larry T. Clemons / Gallery 721 / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5f955e30f-b7f7-4867-b49b-ee564dd87d7f

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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