Piety Street Side​
The Pelican
On the left portion of the Piety Street side of the mural is a piece by Brooklyn street artist Alison Buxton. The multi-color spectrum in the background provides a pop of color to the piece. The depicts a beautifully detailed brown pelican, the state bird of Louisiana, rising out of an oil spill. It connects to the original message of the mural, to “Rise & Preserve.” The pelican represents Louisiana and the oil spill represents the numerous environmental issues that are impacting the state, many of which have to do with the massive oil industry operating out of the Gulf of Mexico. To the right of the pelican is the Katrina Cross or X-Code. This X is a FEMA “Search Code” used during Hurricane Katrina. The code would be written on a house by a search and rescue team, infamously recording any people found inside, alive or dead. This X became a symbol of the devastating hurricane and the death and destruction it wrought on the city. In the mural, the codes have been replaced with the letters spelling out N.O.L.A and the whole X is on fire, another symbol for the destruction of Hurricane Katrina and the lasting impact it has had. Although not part of the original piece, this element is nonetheless beautiful and impactful.
To the right of the Pelican piece on the Piety Street side of the mural is a piece by an Australian muralist. It depicts a massive, vibrant and colorful rooster in the foreground, painted with incredible detail. In the background is the moon setting. This is a symbol for waking up, or rising, harkening back to the original sentiment of the mural, “Rise & Preserve,” calling on the residents of the neighborhood to wake up and pay attention to the issues being addressed by the mural.
The last piece on the Piety Street side of the mural is a piece I found absolutely no information about. It has colorful spotted background drawing, the eye to the piece. Also in the background appear to be cups of soda, possibly a depiction of the gluttony and obesity that plagues our society. In the foreground is a massive and painfully distorted mouth protruding out of the ground. Next to the mouth is a wallet with a deformed arm coming out of it holding a dollar bill, feeding it to the mouth. To me this seems like a depiction of the self feeding materialistic and capitalistic culture and society that we live in, which is contributing to the gentrification of the neighborhood and city. Although this symbolism is just speculation, it seems to be a fairly aggressive piece with a clear message, connected to the mantra of the mural, to point out major issues in our society, specifically in the new orleans area.