Purvis Young: Works from the Collection
July 27 - September 22, 2013
Boca did a fantastic show of Purvis’ work several years ago. The current show is, well, hard to understand.
The
Bad - The first problem is the location. I know the floor plan of that
museum like the back of my hand, but after walking the whole museum,
both floors, I could not find any of Purvis’ work. Was the show over? I
eventually had to ask the woman at the front desk for directions. They
seemed to agree that the paintings were hard to find. Purvis' work is
under the main stairway, kind of an after thought or overflow space.
more after the break
Another reason I did not think to look at that space was that the museum
included Purvis into a bigger show, one in which he didn’t belong,
taking up the main first floor gallery. Although the museum advertised
in print and on the web that it was having an Purvis Young show the
truth is they are having a large exhibition of works by artists involved
with three art organizations that work with developmental disabilities
called “Create” and they some how tacked Purvis onto the end. Or that’s
sure how it looked. Maybe I am being overly sensitive but the
positioning of Purvis’ work within the main exhibition of Create was a
disservice to the importance of the Miami artist.
Now
the Good – The Boca Museum of Art deserves credit for once again
showing this important local artist's work. They are continuing to
support local artists unlike other museums that have turned their back
on the local art community. The paintings are from the museum's
permanent collection, donated by Barry and Gigi Fitzmorris and the
Rubell Family Collection. The selections were all of the highest
quality, spanned several decades and included most of Purvis’ important
icons. The gift shop was selling books from the first larger exhibition
that took place a few years ago and the staff all knew about Purvis and
were able to talk about his work.
All
in all it’s worth the trip if you are a fan of Purvis. Anytime you get
to see his work in a museum setting with proper lighting its a thrill. GL
Boca Raton Museum of Art website here
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