“It was mostly white people interested,” he said in the mid-1990s, recalling the days after he was discovered. “Some people would say stuff, say I looked like Gauguin, all different artists they say I looked like. A lot of black people seen them, but they didn’t say much to me about it. Some of them said I was mad, some cursed me out, some liked it, some of them admired me, some didn’t. A friend of mine — he’s passed away now — say to me: ‘I look at your paintings but I don’t see nothing. But every time I turn around you’re in the newspaper.’ ”NY TIMES
When we look back on black visual art and artist we must wonder why is the support for these artist only comes from the 'white patrons is it content , is it that African Americans just don't care for Art as it is portrayed in the 21st century.Is it that the Afro American Professional just not savvy enough to play a role in discovering and supporting visual artist or is it not a role we want to participate in. We are forced to confront this issue every time a artist of color is gobbled up and sucked of his or her creative juices and left indigent on there death bed. The cry comes from the rafters complaining about the way white entrepreneurs have taken advantage of that poor giving soul. The reality is that without those buzzards giving support over the years ;that individual would have not have been able to produce the quantity and quality of work that Purvis Young created over those 41 years.
In Short if Afro-Americans don't support Afro-American Artist don't complain when they are not seen in major galleries or featured in art news articles or are destitute and poor on there death bed.
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