This paint on panel work entitled ‘Angel with Halo’, exemplifies the distinguished style of American artist Purvis Young. With dynamic strokes and a striking use of color, Young depicts the haloed angel surrounded by a multitude of abstract figures dancing throughout the composition, further accentuated by the vivid red frame constructed by the artist. Often painting with a sense of movement and expressionism, Young’s emotion and zeal is evident in every painted stroke of this work, solidifying his unique style and deeply personal approach to art.

Purvis Young (1943-2010) was a celebrated American Outsider artist from Southern Florida. A self-taught artist, who dropped out of high school, Young developed his style from his urban surroundings and often said that art turned his life around. As a result his work often addressed concepts dealing with poverty, crime, and social issues. He often implemented the use of discarded objects as his medium to paint on including doors, cardboard, windows, and pieces of wood. Young also worked on numerous large scale installations and murals, many of which are located in his hometown of Miami, FL including his 1972 ‘Goodbread Alley’ mural and his 1986 work on the Miami Dade Metrorail station.

SELECTED MUSEUM COLLECTIONS:
American Folk Art Museum, New York, NY
Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC
Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham, AL
The Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
Fayette Art Museum, Fayette, AL
High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX
The Newark Museum, Newark, NJ
New Orleans Museum of Art, New Orleans, LA
Ogden Museum of Southern Art, New Orleans, LA
Studio Museum of Harlem, New York, NY