This selection of works by Purvis Young features the iconic style of the self-taught artist working in his home state of Florida between the 1970s and 1990s. Young was inspired to pursue art after spending three years in prison at North Florida’s Raiford State Penitentiary in the early 1960s. Born in 1942, the artist was influenced as a child by his uncle who worked as a sign painter. While he did not receive a formal education in the arts, the artist reclaimed the creative interests of his youth by studying art books and producing small drawings. Living in the Overtown neighborhood of Miami, Young soon migrated his work to the discarded plywood of local boarded up storefronts. In producing these unexpected murals, the artist was recognized by his community, specifically the leadership at the Miami Art Museum, and received commissions for his work. Until his death in 2010, the artist explored the social and cultural narratives of the United States through visual commentary and non-traditional materials.

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