Redlands Filmmaker: A Short Film on Assemblage Artist Noah Purifoy

ASSEMBLAGE ARTIST NOAH PURIFOY from onward films on Vimeo.

A few weeks back, I traveled to Joshua Tree to film a short film on Assemblage Artist Noah Purifoy, who unfortunately died in 2004. But his work--what he considers to be his greatest masterpiece--still stands in the arid desert weathering with the elements.

I recently took on a project--stemmed by my fascination with outdoor art-- in which I am in the process of documenting various outdoor art sculptures and how they exist among the natural elements.

I am a big fan of art, in all its forms, but I find there to be something unique about those forms exposed to outdoor elements. It's not that I don't like museums (because I can spend hours sitting in silence in front of Picasso's Three Musicians), it's just that I find outdoor art to be so much more approachable (is that the right word?).

The stuffiness seems to be absent. I don't have some security guard staring over my shoulder, ready to pounce on me if I step too close. I can feel a breeze on my face. The sun on my back.

Dare I say, I am at one with the piece in an environment that is wide open without ceilings or restrictions (for the most part).

Noah's story is fascinating, so I'll leave that to the Noah Purifoy Foundation, which is dedicated to the preservation of the artist's work.

If you live within a few hours of Joshua Tree or are planning a trip to California, the museum is a bit off the beaten track and up a few dirt roads, but well worth the trip.

TECHNICAL SPECS:

* Filmed at the Noah Purifoy Outdoor Desert Art Museum in Joshua Tree, California, on the Canon 7D shooting native 60p and conformed to 30p slow motion with Cinema Tools.

* Glidetrack used for dolly moves. Graded with Magic Bullet Looks

* Voice recordings provided by Roy Hurst, Tony Cox and NPR Radio

* Music by Moby


NEXT UP: Desert Christ Park