'Noah Purifoy's Outdoor Art Museum' in Joshua Tree CA is one of my few blogs that I think deserves two installments. See my previous blog 'Noah Purifoy's Outdoor Art Museum #1' for more about Purifoy's background and influence in southern California. Visiting this 10 acre, outdoor junk art museum in the middle of the desert may sound weird, but it is a unique experience: it is virtually unattended with a simple box for donations. The entire collection of large scale sculptures and installations made entirely from junk (and I mean junk, not just clean, old stuff) is fully accessible and open, allowing the viewer to actually walk through and be a part of these amazing and sometimes insane works of art. Purifoy was clearly influenced by the Marcel Duchamp and the Dadaists, as well as the 1964 Watts riots in LA. The Los Angeles Museum of Art just closed a 6 month exhibit of Purifoy's work called 'Junk Dada'.

This place is like a candy store for the photographer. Purifoy has created a collection of discarded common objects that provides a language for us to have a dialogue about modern life and socio-economic issues. If you happen to be in the area around Joshua Tree National Park, a visit to Purifoy's museum is a must.

You can also learn more about Purifoy at the website: www.noahpurifoy.com

                                                                                         An early moonrise marks the end of our day in the desert.