Artist: Purvis Young
Title: Untitled, Trucks on Cardboard
Medium: Mixed Media Painting (House Paint on Cardboard, Wood, Cloth, and Curtains)
Size: 73.5" x 32"
Edition: Original
Year: c. 1995-2005
Condition: In the style of found art with an intentionally weathered appearance. Expected imperfections include heavy creasing, unfinished edges, and marks.
Documentation: Includes a Certificate of Authenticity from the Purvis Young Foundation; Unbroken Record of Provenance
"Untitled, Trucks on Cardboard" is a large-scale work by Purvis Young, measuring over six feet in height, exemplifying the artist's distinctive approach to mixed media painting and his engagement with urban narratives. Executed on layers of found materials including cardboard, wood, cloth, and curtains, the work is emblematic of Young's resourceful practice, which frequently incorporated everyday objects to construct compelling visual narratives. Its intentionally weathered appearance, featuring heavy creasing, unfinished edges, and marks, recalls the aesthetics of street art and underscores the work's roots in the environment from which Young drew inspiration.
The composition centers on a series of trucks, a recurring motif in Young's oeuvre. For the artist, vehicles symbolize movement, migration, and the challenges of urban life. In this work, the trucks convey both literal and metaphorical journeys of marginalized communities, reflecting perseverance, the search for opportunity, and the weight of historical and social struggles. Young's gestural brushstrokes and layered arrangements convey urgency and dynamism, imbuing the piece with a sense of motion and the lived rhythm of city life.
Much of Young's work draws on autobiographical and communal experiences, including his time in prison and life in segregated, underserved neighborhoods, while also addressing broader themes of the African American experience. Through his narrative imagery, he balances depictions of hardship with an underlying message of hope and resilience.
This original work is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity from the Purvis Young Foundation and has an unbroken provenance. Its considerable scale, combined with the immediacy of its execution, establishes it as a powerful example of Young's ability to communicate both personal and collective stories through found materials and bold, expressive imagery.
About Purvis Young
Purvis Young was an American artist of Bahamian descent, renowned for his expressive paintings that vividly depict the lives and struggles of African Americans in the urban South. Born in Liberty City, Miami, Florida, Young was introduced to drawing at a young age by his uncle, a local sign painter. Despite a limited formal education, he developed a deep passion for art during his teenage years.
In 1961, Young was incarcerated at Raiford State Penitentiary for three years due to a conviction for breaking and entering. During his imprisonment, he rediscovered his childhood interest in drawing, inspired by art books featuring works by Rembrandt, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Gauguin . This period marked a pivotal turn in his life, as he resolved to pursue a path as an artist upon his release in 1964.
Returning to Miami, Young began creating art using found materials such as scrap wood, cardboard, and discarded furniture. His work often combined painting and drawing with collage elements, resulting in a distinctive style that conveyed powerful narratives and emotional depth . He was particularly influenced by the mural movements of the 1960s and began displaying his paintings on the exterior walls of abandoned buildings in the Overtown neighborhood, notably in Goodbread Alley, transforming the area into an open-air gallery.
Throughout his career, Young's art focused on themes of social justice, spirituality, and community, often depicting figures such as angels, warriors, and everyday people. His work resonated with the experiences of marginalized communities and garnered attention for its raw emotional intensity and narrative clarity.
Young's contributions to the art world were recognized through various exhibitions and acquisitions by prominent institutions, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the American Folk Art Museum, the High Museum of Art, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture . In 2018, he was inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame, honoring his impact on the state's cultural landscape.
Purvis Young passed away in Miami on April 20, 2010. His legacy endures through his distinctive body of work, which continues to inspire and inform discussions on race, identity, and the power of art as a vehicle for social change.
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