When iconic Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader passed away earlier this year, NYC paid homage to her in many different ways.
She was a native New Yorker after all, born and raised in Brooklyn. Her signature lace collar was put on Wall Street’s Fearless Girl statue, the 50th St. subway sign was temporarily changed to read “Ruth St.,” and landmarks were lit up blue in her honor, just to name a few.
[featured image source: Instagram / @lisaprojectnyc]
And now, a beautiful new piece of street art will honor her in the East Village.
The colorful new mural is finally finished being painted on the southwest corner of First Avenue and 11th Street. The piece was curated by the public art charity LISA Project NYC, which has coordinated the wall’s displays since 2015, and invested $40,000 of repairs and prep for this current installation to ensure it remains a stunning sight for New Yorkers for years to come.
You’ll recognize the vibrant block coloring from artist @ElleStreetArt, who has created many scenes across NYC.
EV Grieve first shared the project, and others on social media have continued posting about its progress as well. Now, it is officially complete.
See it here:
The artist, Elle, explained the meaning behind all the symbols in the creation on her Instagram:
“The Flowers to the bottom left are Black Eyed Susans, which represent justice.
Above that, the Brooklyn Bridge- signifying her childhood borough. Above her head; hints of a crown composed of her many collars, as well as a gentle nod to Biggie, the namesake of her nickname Notogious RBG. The justice seemed to enjoy finding semblance with Biggie, as well as the nickname.
To the right of the justice’s head, the turquoise swath depicts the interior of the Library of Congress ceiling. In front of this: the statue of Lady Liberty, and to her right, a second statue: The Contemplation of Justice, who sits outside of the Supreme Court house, originally carved by James Earle Fraser. He claimed that the sculpture represented “a realistic conception of what I consider a heroic type of person with a head and body expressive of the beauty and intelligence of justice.” Under the hand of this sculpture are some of the cases that RBG argued, and with which she had major impact on opportunity and equality for many Americas. These cases are: Reed v Reed, United States vs Virginia, Windsor vs US and Hollingsworth, and Weinberger v. Wiesenfeld, constituting same sex marriage and other landmark feats.
The red swath of fabric floating across the painting could perhaps be a cape as Wonderwoman might have worn.
Behind the Contemplation of Justice is an interpretation of the tympanum on the Supreme Court, and to the right of that, the emblem of the United States (the eagle), holding a banner that shows part of a quote that I personally love by RBG; Women belong in all places where decisions are being made.”