The heated debate over the artistic merits of a long, serpentine mural on a GDOT-owned wall in the Pittsburgh community has raised two pertinent questions: What is acceptable public art, and who says so? Some neighborhood leaders feel the 240-foot artwork, a month-long project by international muralist Pierre Roti, doesn't represent the embattled but historic Pittsburgh, which was founded by former slaves in the late 1800s. "When folks in this community see a big snake, the interpretation is that they see a serpent and the serpent represents Satan," one reverend told Creative Loafing.
The community's haphazard attempt to paint over the mural, which apparently was still drying, has left it blurred in places. Atlanta police were forced to disperse a testy press conference on Monday. The project is part of the Living Walls initiative, whose founder and executive director says the uproar in Pittsburgh has convinced her to revise the process for selecting mural sites and touching base with communities before paint meets wall. Yeah, it's kind of a touchy subject. [Creative Loafing]
· Living Walls splits community [Creative Loafing]
Loading comments...