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Collage of five diverse artworks from the Hammer Museum Collections side by side. From left to right: 1) Contemporary painting of two embracing figures with surreal elements. 2) Post-impressionist style painting of trees with vibrant blues and greens. 3) Black and white illustration of a face with intricate patterns. 4) Japanese woodblock print style image of a figure in a checkered robe. 5) Photograph of a couple dancing, the woman in a black dress and the man in white

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Digital Archive Now Dig This!: Art and Black Los Angeles 1960–1980
Art Noah Purifoy, Untitled (Assemblage)
Untitled (Assemblage), by Noah Purifoy, 1967

Noah Purifoy, Artist
Untitled (Assemblage) , 1967

Medium
Mixed media
Dimensions
66 x 39 x 8 in. (167.6 x 99.1 x 20.3 cm)
Credit Line
Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., Museum Purchase, the William A. Clark Fund and Gift of Dr. Samella Lewis. Photo courtesy of Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., ©Noah Purifoy Foundation

In this work an array of shoes, a framed diploma, wire, rags, brushes, fabrics, and other found objects have been assembled into a highly developed composition. The artist's act of assembling these objects into a new form exposes their obsolescence as well as their inability to elevate the social status of African Americans. For Purifoy, this reassessment of value is crucial to the meaning of his work as an artist and a community activist.