Purvis Young, a genius of the art of “making do,” drew and painted on repurposed sheets of paper that he pasted over the pages of found books. This volume features dozens of drawings of men playing basketball and football. The book’s title, Sometimes I Get Emotion from the Game, suggests the value of sport as an escape from the harsh realities of life in Overtown, Miami. In this spread, players partially obscured by spattered paint stretch their arms overhead—a gesture that might be read as one of either striving or surrender.
Spread from Purvis Young (1943–2010), Sometimes I Get Emotion from the Game, early 1980s. Ballpoint pen and marker on paper glued to found book, 12 1/4 x 17 3/4 inches (31.12 x 45.09 cm). Gift of the Souls Grown Deep Foundation from the William S. Arnett Collection and purchase on the Manley Family Fund, 2018.106.
© Purvis Young / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.