Photographer Harvey Wang is raising funds to (hopefully) put on a show in honor of Adam Purple and his unrivaled “green” project, “The Garden of Eden.” Purple created a huge garden on some abandoned lots on Eldridge Street in the ’70’s and ’80’s. This gorgeous video for the kickstarter project says it all. But the project info reads:
January 8, 2011 marks the 25th anniversary of the destruction of The Garden of Eden, an earthwork created by Adam Purple that once spanned five city lots on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. This selection of Harvey Wang’s photographs, for the most part unpublished and on display for the first time, documents the expansion of the Garden from 1978 to 1985. Rare prints of a few of Adam’s 1975-76 negatives will also be shown.
The exhibition is scheduled for February 2-20, 2011 at the FusionArts Museum (Gallery B) located at 57 Stanton Street, New York, NY 10002. Funds are needed to help produce and mount the show. Making the photographic prints and mounting the exhibition are the largest expenses, but it’s also critical to create an exhibition catalogue to serve as a permanent record.
In terms of his revolutionary ideas about sustainability and living as humble members of the natural world, Adam was ahead of his time. He has not yet been properly recognized as an important environmental artist. It has been 25 years since The Garden of Eden was destroyed. Help fund this exhibition that aims to ensure that Adam Purple and his unique, site-specific artwork are not forgotten.
What is Adam Purple doing now?