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Adam Purple and The Garden of Eden – RIP Adam Purple

Adam Purple and The Garden of Eden https://vimeo.com/29275235

Adam Purple was a gardener on Forsyth Street when it was very rough here. I lived on Forsyth from 1978 to 1990 so I do remember it well.

He built, out of  love and sweat, one of the most beautiful gardens I’ve ever seen. He died recently, on the bridge, biking as always.

The phrase I remember most, from one of the many community meetings about the looming destruction of his garden and home: “I’m from Missouri, show me”. (Missouri is known as the ‘show me’ state -from a state Congressman: “frothy eloquence neither convinces nor satisfies me. I am from Missouri. You have got to show me.” ).

He built a garden here when it mattered, in the midst of burned out buildings and no hope. When we didn’t even merit real estate speculation.

Go to the film website It’s worth it. (on the this website you have to copy and paste – sorry working that out)!

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Go to the website and watch the video for a glimpse of what it meant to build a garden in those days. https://vimeo.com/29275235
film by Harvey Wang and Amy Brost

“In 1975, on the crime-ridden Lower East Side, Adam Purple started a garden behind his tenement home. By 1986, The Garden of Eden was world famous and had grown to 15,000 square feet. For Adam – a social activist, philosopher, artist, and revolutionary – the Garden was the medium of his political and artistic expression. It was razed by the city in 1986 after a protracted court battle. This film documents the creation of this artwork and its ultimate destruction.

Winner of the “Neighborhood Award” at the Lower East Side Film Festival”

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