“A Note to the Viewer This book is divided into three separate parts: The photographs, the photographic chronology and the text. The advantages of this format is to give you, the viewer, at least three options. You can proceed chronologically from the beginning of the book to the end, thereby grasping the artist’s full intent to inform, entertain and intrigue. Or you may casually thumb through the book spotting only those details that give meaning to each piece. Or you may flip the pages rapidly just to get a bird’s eye view of the content. Or perhaps, you may discover some aspects of the book that we overlooked altogether.

Nevertheless no matter what option a viewer chooses to take, it is our desire that each of you get so close to the piece that you see the smoke from its breath as it comes alive.

Noah Purifoy April, 1997”