Noah Sylvester Purifoy, Sculptor, 86

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It was reported from Joshua Tree, California, that trash-to-art
"assemblage" sculptor Noah Sylvester Purifoy, the African-American
artist perhaps best known for his "66 Signs Neon" made from 1965 Watts
riot debris, died in a fire in his home, at the age of 86.

The fire was confined to Purifoy's wheelchair and it was believed he
fell asleep while smoking, a coroner's office spokesman said.

In a sculpture garden, Purifoy dedicated 2 1/2 acres to creating
beauty from castoffs. Known as "assemblage" art, Purifoy erected a
spectacular display of towering artworks using bowling balls,
commodes, discarded tools, worn-out appliances and other debris.

Known as the father of the Los Angeles black assemblage movement,
Purifoy was launched into notoriety in 1965 when he created works from
Watts riot rubble. The longtime civil rights activist had been working
on the Watts Towers Art Center when the riots began.

Purifoy took a lengthy hiatus from his artistic endeavors in 1976,
when he was appointed to the California Arts Council. He backed
efforts to bring art to correctional institutions, schools and social
programs before leaving the council in 1987.

Settling in the Mojave Desert, he began to sculpt on a grand scale.
The sculpture garden contains more than 100 art objects.

His works have been part of the collections of the Corcoran Gallery in
Washington, DC, the Whitney Museum in New York, New York, and the
California Afro-American Museum.