Columbia of Carrick

Columbia of Carrick (Yearning to Breathe Free) is a mural in the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Carrick. The mural depicts Columbia, (the personification of the United States) with arms outstretched, surrounded by American Beauty roses, and flanked by the words "Yearning to Breathe Free", from the poem The New Colossus[1], by Emma Lazarus.

Columbia of Carrick, mural in Pittsburgh

Symbolism
The Roses of Heliogabalus, Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema
WWI Poster by Paul Stahr, part of the inspiration for the depiction of Lady Columbia

The mural, by Pittsburgh-based artist Brian Gonnella[2], is an example of Americana. It includes several classic American symbols, including an homage to the work of 19th Century poet and immigration advocate, Emma Lazarus, as well as other more arcane references such as the fact that Columbia is surrounded (perhaps being suffocated) by American Beauty roses. This is in reference to the 1999 classic film American Beauty.

At the same time, it evokes not only the imagery of the film, and the potential for creativity and freedom, but also cynically recalls The Roses of Heliogabalus by Alma-Tadema. The 1888 painting depicts Heliogabalus, a 3rd Century Roman Emperor who is said to have welcomed guests into his home for a banquet, only to smother them with roses from a false ceiling.

Quotation
Plaque of the Sonnet "The New Colossus", by Emma Lazarus, on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty

The quotation, from the 1883 poem The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus, serves multiple purposes. At once, Columbia is welcoming the newcomer while she herself is also 'yearning to breathe free'. Columbia is always at risk of suffocating under the weight of her own inclusive nature -- if everyone is welcome, this may include elements of which some do not approve. The poem is most notably included on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty (Liberty Enlightening the World).

Controversy

In June of 2019, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania filed multiple criminal complaints against the owner of the property, Shoham Zober, claiming that the owner had failed to obtain permits for the work. The state was unsuccessful.

gollark: Well, I guess that might work? The monitoring systems in the bee container would report it to me of course, and I could develop countermeasures.
gollark: Not apiopyroforms. We did research on this.
gollark: osmarks.tk™ on a micro-SD card several thousand times over?
gollark: Ah yes, burning things which are DEFINITELY NOT apiopyroforms is safe.
gollark: Technically, it belongs to the Queen.

References
  1. Foundation, Poetry (2019-05-20). "The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus". Poetry Foundation. Retrieved 2019-05-20.
  2. Editor, N. S. C. "New mural captures the heart and spirit of Troy Hill community – Northside Chronicle". Retrieved 2019-05-20.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.