Untitled (Urban Construction Scene), c. 1992
Paint on board
36 X 51 in (91.44 x 129.54 cm)

Hand-signed “Young” by the artist upper right
Provenance: carefully hand-selected from the artist’s Miami studio.

In the capital of Latin America, transportation is key. From sea to shore and truck to train, Miami moved like other cities. And it was amidst this daily controlled chaos that Purvis Young found subject of commerce and community –  painting portraits of industry and the people who fueled those enterprises. The painting is exquisite. There is no uncertainty to line – set against a horizontally bifurcated yellow and white background. Young accurately captures trucks with lifts, cranes and their operators. The vehicles are captured from multiple perspectives of view, almost in the form of a detailed study. Random figures are scattered about serving as ghosts in the machine. The work also features a seldomly incorporated horizontal perspective and is signed in the upper right hand corner.