Sacred Geographic Superimpositions
A reimagining of public art, for us, by us, as enshrined spaces.
Through photogrammetry, I have created three-dimensional models of public art by Black artists in Philadelphia organized into an interactive mapping visualization with augmented reality content. Since its inception, Sacred Geographic Superimpositions has expanded into a virtual collage of local public artworks, African sculptures and instruments from the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Temple University Libraries Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection, and spiritual and metaphysical items in order to transform each included outdoor sculpture and mural into altars adorned with the latter elements. This project is a spiritual scholarly endeavor to document and celebrate ephemeral Black public art in Philadelphia in a manner that transports them into the ancestral plane of the “transformative archive” to bring scholarly research and data curation out of the academy into a curated space grounded in storytelling and interpretation.
Augmented Reality to Celebrate Ephemeral Public Art
The interactive augmented reality component of this project transforms each public artwork into an altar adorned with a number of objects related to the specific outdoor sculpture or mural. To represent spirit/æther I selected an African sculpture or instrument and virtually framed photographs of the artist, the artwork, and any other relevant theme. The air category is represented by such items as basil, lavender, and chamomile plants; cinnamon incense; a singing bowl; or a feather. The items representing air are often connected to those representing water, such as an abalone shell which might hold a rosemary cleansing stick, a rose petal sage bundle, or bay leaves. Other water signifiers include rose, black, or cinnamon soap and blue anil. Fire was represented by candles and tea lights in intentionally selected colors and earth was represented by some combination of three to five crystals. I placed each of the designated objects around each outdoor sculpture model and in front of each mural model. In some instances I placed objects on plates, soap dishes, or tables depending on the space and structure of the public artwork model.
The sacredGS iOS mobile application (available for iPhone and iPad only) has been developed to access the augmented reality content associated with this project. Download the app from the App Store on a separate device, launch the app and give it access to your camera, and point the camera at the corresponding photo on the map below to launch the AR media on your device's screen. If you have issues loading the AR content when you switch between photos, click on the photo to expand it.
The open-access article describing the ideation, justification, and theoretical grounding of this project can be found at futures.clir.org/sacred-geographic-superimpositions .
Mapping Courage (2008) by Willis Humphrey
This mural "honors the legacy of W.E.B. DuBois and Engine 11. William Edward Burghardt `W. E. B.` Du Bois was an American sociologist, historian, civil rights activist, Pan-Africanist, author, writer and editor. He was the first African American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1895. Engine 11 became the firehouse where all African American firefighters were stationed, often working under white supervisors and chiefs."
Big Wheel IV (Date Unknown) by Arthur Jafa
"These are industrial chakras, sacred shapes from the factory forge. They manifest one of Jafa’s obsessions, the culture of monster vehicles that has fascinated him since his Mississippi childhood, but the heavy manufacturing feel also evokes — at least for this viewer — America’s economic changes, notably the deindustrialization and transition to the service economy that Jafa’s generation watched unfold and that dashed so many Black middle-class aspirations."
Nesaika (1976) by John W. Rhoden
"Nesaika was commissioned as part of the Redevelopment Authority’s Percent for Art program. The bronze was cast by the age-old cire perdue (lost wax) process known on the western coast of Africa. According to [John W.] Rhoden, the mask-like image at the top symbolizes 'the wholeness of the shape of the universe'."
A Quest for Parity: The Octavius V. Catto Memorial (2017) by Branley Cadet
"The City Hall site for the Catto Memorial inspired [Branley] Cadet to design a piece that highlighted Catto’s political efforts in the city. The 12′ tall bronze statue at the center of the memorial shows Catto mid-stride with his palms and chest facing forward. He walks away from five granite blocks that stand behind him, which represent an 1860s streetcar. He strides towards the stainless-steel and granite box in front of him, which represents a 19th century ballot box. Bronze plaques and inscriptions on the pillars describe Catto’s life and inform viewers about how his accomplishments reshaped Philadelphia."
Caliban's Hands (Date Unknown) by Christopher Myers
"Christopher Myers’ monumental sculpture is symbolic of the indigenous cultures occupied and suppressed by European colonial societies, and speaks to the dynamics of privilege, oppression, and forced servitude. The title references a character from Shakespeare's Tempest. Many consider the play an allegory of European colonization, and throughout the centuries, Caliban's character has featured prominently in arguments that defend or resist colonialist tyranny. Interpreted as a white man's burden, colonization was a means of conquering new lands and imposing the colonizer's culture on the native people."
Brick House (2019) by Simone Leigh
"Titled Brick House, the piece depicts a Black woman’s head atop a form that suggests a skirt or perhaps a building. It is the first large-scale piece in the artist’s Anatomy of Architecture series that merges human form with diverse architectural elements...Its enthralling presence of Black beauty with artistic references to the African diaspora will draw the attention of everyone walking or driving past one of the most traveled corners in West Philadelphia."
Tuskegee Airmen: They Met the Challenge (2008) by Marcus Akinlana
"They Met the Challenge pays homage to the Tuskegee Airmen and their message of perseverance to rise above adversity, racism, and unfair training and performance expectations in the US Armed Forces...Elements of the design were inspired by the Airmen’s descriptions of their boyhood dreams of leaning how to fly...The largest image is the head and goggles of a pilot in combat. Inside the goggles on the left is the image of Alfred Anderson, the airmen’s pilot trainer.
AIDS Southwest (2005) by Parris Stancell
"[An] issue that the city of Philadelphia has faced, childbirth and AIDS, is represented through this mural located on 1403 South 54th Street and created in 2005. AIDS Southwest tells the story of a mother’s struggle with childbirth while having this disease. From the photography on the left, you can tell the hardships that has come with this disease and how the community’s response has been agonizing. Civic media is used by Parris Stancell through the AIDS Southwest mural to tell this personal and hard story, to bring a conversation to the table and community."
Story Tellers: Past, Present, Future, Forever (Date Unknown) by Parris Stancell
This mural honors the legacy of Pan-African Blackness through the incorporation of two prominent figures, Marcus Garvey and Malcolm X, along with such Adinkra symbols as Sankofa, meaning "go back and get," the Denkyem symbol for adaptability, and Gye Nyame representing the supremacy of God.
Ode to West Philly (Date Unknown) by Ras Malik
"After Ras Malik studied at the University of the Arts, he became a prison guard for 15 years and actually began teaching art in the prison. He then moved to Key West where he learned sign painting. However, in 1994, Ras returned to his home of Philadelphia where he met [Mural Arts Phildelphia Executive Director] Jane Golden and today paints murals and teaches kids how to do it. His most recent mural, Ode to West Philly, reveals the love he has for his community."
Martin Luther King (2009) by Cliff Eubanks
"This mural portrays Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1965 inspiring speech to a crowd of over 10,000 in West Philadelphia, where he called for 'freedom now'."
All Power to All People (2017) by Hank Willis Thomas
"All Power to All People combines the Afro pick and the Black Power salute, two potent symbols of Black identity and social justice. While the title references a legendary Black Panther Party slogan, this activation welcomes anyone who seeks to participate in this watershed social and cultural moment. It is a call to action, and in [Hank Willis] Thomas' own words, 'we the people are standing up to take the power back'...In light of ongoing, anti-Black police brutality and a pandemic that disproportionately affects Black individuals, All Power to All People is an urgent public art intervention serving as a symbol of unity, pride, strength, perseverance, justice, and belonging."
Three Figures (1984) by Joseph C. Bailey
This sculpture is located near the entrance of the Tucker House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center by Pittsburgh-born artist Joseph C. Bailey who was a member of the Philadelphia Art Commission.
North Philadelphia Heroes (2002) by Cliff Eubanks
"This mural from artist Cliff Eubanks was created in collaboration with teens, who interviewed the families of neighborhood heroes Alphonse Deal and Dr. Ethel Allen, and then created a mural in their honor."
A Celebration of Poetry (2004) by Parris Stancell
"A Celebration of Poetry honors the African American poet’s journey. Beginning in Africa, the central placement of two strong women – one pouring water into the ground, and the second playing a musical instrument – starts the poet’s path. The trek winds on through the cotton fields of America, and then rises to the corner where blues and jazz musicians are playing. The journey culminates in the present day with a poetry reading, inviting passersby to sit and listen for a while. Woven within the vibrant colors are phrases from six different poets, highlighting both the imagery and the words that are so important to a poet’s life."
Freedom School (2002) by Parris Stancell
"In 2002, with support from the Mural Arts Project, Parris Stancell created a mural in West Philadelphia titled Freedom School. The mural sets the faces of Malcolm X, Ella Baker, Martin Luther King Jr., and Frederick Douglass against the backdrop of the American and Black Liberation flags. It depicts Douglass in his younger years, and refers to Malcolm X as Malcolm Shabazz – a composite of his names in the latter years of his life; Malcolm X and el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz. The mural also champions women's activiism through Ella Baker’s quotation, 'We who believe in freedom cannot rest'."
Project HOME: The Steppers (1996) by Cavin Jones
Project HOME is a nonprofit organization that provides support services for low-income adults, children, and families without housing. This mural features a facade of St Elizabeth's Recovery Residence, a recovery residence for men, and representations of community members. Most prominently featured are three steppers in pink uniforms.
A Tribute to Urban Horsemen (2005) by Jason Slowik and Keir Johnston
"In a single street scene, A Tribute to Urban Horsemen unites elements of contemporary society with themes of the Old West. A team of horses and riders move through old Philadelphia streets, while a mythic Buffalo Soldier figure gallops through the sky, haloed in a golden sunset. Modern-day children enjoy the scene from trompe l’oeil windows, while others play in the old-fashioned cobblestone street lined with tracks for horse-drawn trolleys. Tying past and present together, one child writes the phrase, 'We remember'."
Malcolm X (2004) by Ernel Martinez
"Amid segregation and Jim Crow Laws, Malcolm X ignited passion in the late 20th century’s young resistance. He is a symbol of progress in the African American community, and his image spreads hope and optimism. “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for the day” stands in bold quotation marks next to Malcolm X’s head. Philadelphia’s public school system, specifically in Strawberry Mansion, is underfunded, understaffed, and poorly regulated, suppressing opportunities for development in the city’s youth."
Father Paul Washington (1991 and 2006) by Walter Edmonds
"Walter Edmonds memorialised Father Paul Washington of the Philadelphia Church of the Advocate, on the side of a building in the Strawberry Mansion district of Philadelphia in 1990. Father Washington was a prominent social activist in the area of Philadelphia."
Healing Walls: Inmates' Journey (2004) by Cesar Viveros and Parris Stancell
"Mural Arts created two murals in a partnership among inmate-artists at the State Correctional Institute at Graterford, Victims of Crime, and Victim’s Advocates, Cesar Viveros and Parris Stancell’s Healing Walls murals depict the victims’ and inmates’ struggle to change patterns of crime within their communities and themselves. Originally conceived as a single mural created by victims and inmates, the two groups found it impossible to unite over a single, unified design. Instead 2, similar murals were created adjacent to one another on the 3000 block of Germantown Avenue in North Philadelphia. Cindy Burnstein and Tony Heriza’s documentary film, Concrete Steel and Paint tells the story behind the creation of these murals."
Healing Walls: Victims' Journey (2004) by Cesar Viveros and Parris Stancell
"Mural Arts created two murals in a partnership among inmate-artists at the State Correctional Institute at Graterford, Victims of Crime, and Victim’s Advocates, Cesar Viveros and Parris Stancell’s Healing Walls murals depict the victims’ and inmates’ struggle to change patterns of crime within their communities and themselves. Originally conceived as a single mural created by victims and inmates, the two groups found it impossible to unite over a single, unified design. Instead 2, similar murals were created adjacent to one another on the 3000 block of Germantown Avenue in North Philadelphia. Cindy Burnstein and Tony Heriza’s documentary film, Concrete Steel and Paint tells the story behind the creation of these murals."
Read more here.
The Time—The Place—The Sound (2006) by Ernel Martinez
This mural featuring Black music faces a Black-owned modern soul food restaurant in the historically Black Germantown neighborhood called Relish. This is even more appropriate considering you can hear live music at the restaurant.
Outdoor Sculpture 3D Models via Sketchfab
Sketchfab
Mural 3D Models via Sketchfab
Sketchfab
3D Scanning with Polycam LiDAR 3D Scanner mobile app
3D modeling the Three Figures (1984) sculpture by Joseph C. Bailey usi... | TikTok
Photogrammetry with Agisoft Metashape
A sneak peek into the mystical magical world of photogrammetry | TikTok
A song that inspired me as I worked on this project.
Solange - My Skin My Logo (Official Audio)
Dr. Synatra Smith is an Afrofuturist cultural preservationist focused on the ways in which Black cultural landscapes transform access to special collections and archives through a Black speculative methodology that utilizes extended reality and other digital humanities tools. Through her diligent work and commitment to professional excellence, she has been elevated to participate in several leadership and consulting opportunities and is eager to continue to advocate for the preservation of African diasporic cultures.