Noah Purifoy

Noah Purifoy may be one of the most well known HDTS artists, but I’ll bet he’s one of the least understood. I went almost expecting not to comprehend what I was about to see. Like most of the oddities one finds in the dessert it seems that there is no method to the madness. The descriptions alone painted a chaotic fantasy world. On arrival the range of material and size of the pieces was amazing.

In the outdoor art museum he has created you’re able to be enveloped by his sculptures. There is no limit to size and no end to materials he uses. Old newspapers, toilets, and computer screens wave and sparkle under the desert sun. He has paid attention to each space he works in from the ground you walk on to the highest iron spear.

Although Noah is hesitant about giving titles to his work (so as not to influence the viewer), I felt they helped in contextualizing the method and understanding the madness. The best part of this site is that the artist’s mission is realized.
-Kate

—from the HDTS 3 catalogue