Piazza Lavoro By Ned Smyth

For quite some time I have enjoyed making photos of small abstract sections of painted murals, particularly the ones I have found close to home in Pittsburgh.  This  photo, while not an abstract portion, is a segment of a beautiful tile mural on Pittsburgh's North Shore (remember, we have three rivers, so we have shores).  

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Segment of Ned Smyth's Piazza Lavoro    ©Howard Grill

This particular mural by Ned Smyth was installed in 1984 and is called Piazza Lavoro.  The mural was commisioned by the Heinz family (maybe you have heard of them :) and, as the accompanying plaque notes, "This two-part sculpture recognizes the significant contributions of Pittsburgh to American labor history by a symbolic representation of labor's role in our nation's development. The human figures populating the facades are engaged in this activity, while the palm trees and marine life are reminders of the delicate balance between civilization and nature."

More information about the mural/sculpture as well as photos of the entire piece can be seen on the Pittsburgh Murals website, which is an absolutely fantastic resource I ran across.  Delve in deep and in one location you can find pictures, maps, and artist information about most of the street murals in the city.

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