Joseph S. Lewis III on Artist Noah Purifoy

Why It Matters

Purifoy’s fusion of recycled media and activist intent demonstrates how art can catalyze social change, offering a sustainable template for creators and institutions seeking impact.

Key Takeaways

• Purifoy used neon signs to forge alternative communication channels.
• He believed art should drive behavioral change, not just aesthetics.
• Recycled junk materials become central to his transformative artworks.
• Art education is essential for empowering marginalized voices.
• Purifoy’s work challenges viewers to reassess self-perception in contemporary society.

Summary

In a brief interview, Joseph S. Lewis III reflects on the legacy of avant‑garde artist Noah Purifoy, highlighting the activist core of his practice and its relevance to contemporary cultural discourse.

Purifoy’s work, exemplified by his “666 signs of neon” installation, sought to create a new language for those excluded from mainstream dialogue. He argued that art must provoke behavioral change rather than serve solely as aesthetic decoration, and he championed robust art education as a vehicle for empowerment.

Lewis cites Purifoy’s habit of repurposing discarded objects—junk, scrap metal, broken signage—granting them a second life and forcing viewers to confront the material’s hidden narratives. The neon signs, assembled from salvaged components, illustrate his belief that reclaimed materials can articulate collective trauma and resilience.

The artist’s ethos underscores a broader shift toward socially engaged, sustainable art practices. For institutions and creators, Purifoy’s model offers a blueprint for leveraging waste, education, and radical communication to drive community transformation.

Original Description

“This is a quote from Noah, I thought would be very good. He says: The 66 Signs of Neon essentially was creating a new form of communication for people who otherwise would not or could not communicate, to confront what had happened in Watts. And this began as an expression of the necessity for art education, asserting that art must affect change in human behavior, not just offer aesthetic experience. And this is something that Noah follows through on throughout his art making, that the reuse of used materials or junk, kind of giving them second life or new life, a new way of looking at things, and how that relates to our lives, and how we look at ourselves, and how we can change.”

This is an excerpt from the interview with Joseph S. Lewis III, President of the Noah Purifoy Foundation. For the complete video view the related video.

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