- Rainbow Swash
The Rainbow Swash is a work by
Corita Kent in the Dorchester neighborhood ofBoston, Massachusetts . The rainbow design painted on a convert|140|ft|m|adj=on tallLNG storage tank is the largest copyrighted work of art in the world. [http://www.npr.org/news/specials/response/home_front/features/2001/nov/rainbowtank/011105.rainbowtank.html "Wartime Visions"] ,National Public Radio (November 3, 2001).] Notably, the Swash appeared in the opening credits to the film Fever Pitch.Description
Originally created in 1971, the Rainbow Swash comprises large streaks of rainbow colors over a natural gas storage tank on Dorchester's waterfront, located about two miles (3 km) south of Downtown Boston. The landmark convert|140|ft|m|adj=on design is highly visible from the Southeast Expressway and passed by thousands of commuters daily. The design was transferred to its present location in 1992when the original LNG tank was torn down.Corcoran, Michael (October 21, 2007). [http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/10/21/belatedly_dot_says_tanks_corita/ "Belatedly, Dot says tanks, Corita"] , "
The Boston Globe ".] Chesto, John (September 25, 2007). [http://ledger.southofboston.com/articles/2007/09/25/business/biz01.txt "Under the rainbow: Logo to change"] , "The Patriot Ledger".]History
In 1971, then-Boston Gas Company president Eli Goldstone commissioned Corita Kent to paint the Rainbow Swash design on one of two adjacent LNG tanks facing Boston's Southeast Expressway. The original design was painted on an eight inch (20 cm) scale model with 20 painters reproducing the work on the convert|140|ft|m|adj=on high tank. [ [http://www.simson.net/ref/1995/Boston_Gas_History.pdf "GasLines: The Rainbow Tank is Sweet Sixteen"] (PDF), "Boston Gas History", Boston Gas via Simpson.net (November 1987).]
Since the 1970s, the Rainbow Swash has been controversial. The mural was criticized as featuring a profile of Vietnamese Leader
Ho Chi Minh 's face in its blue stripe. Kent was a peace activist and some believe she was protesting theVietnam War , but Kent herself always denied embedding such a profile.cite book |author=Rogers, Barbara |coauthors=Stillman Rogers, Patricia Mandell, Juliette Rogers |title=Massachusetts: A Guide to Unique Places |year=2007 |publisher=Globe Pequot |isbn=9780762744190 |pages=p. 30] [ [http://www.celebrateboston.com/strange/coritakent.htm Rainbow Swash] . Celebrate Boston.] In 1992, the original rainbow-painted LNG tank was torn down and the Rainbow Swash was recreated on the adjacent tank despite objections from veterans groups. However, the blue stripe is less pronounced in the 1992 reproduction.Noonan, Kathleen (February 9, 2008). [http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,23175539-5003423,00.html "Sister Corita's art of a higher order"] , "The Courier-Mail "]In 2000, Boston Gas was acquired by Keyspan and the Keyspan logo replaced the Boston Gas logo under the rainbow. Keyspan was acquired and merged into
National Grid and the National Grid logo was placed over the Keyspan logo in September 2007. [Howe, Peter J. (August 25, 2007). [http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2007/08/25/national_grid_keyspan_deal_done/ "National Grid, Keyspan deal done"] , "The Boston Globe".] [cite press release
title=Boston's Landmark Gas Tank on Southeast Expressway to Get Name Change as KeySpan Transitions to National Grid
publisher=National Grid |date=September 2007
url=http://www.examiner.com/p-43812~Boston_s_Landmark_Gas_Tank_on_Southeast_Expressway_to_Get_Name_Change_as_KeySpan_Transitions_to_National_Grid.html]References
External links
* [http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Corita-Kent Corita Kent] at Nationmaster
* [http://www.nmwa.org/clara/search_artist_detail.asp?artist_id=21381&search=basic Artist Information: Corita Kent]
* [http://news.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1031974 "WGBH switches on digital mural at new Brighton digs"] by Donna Goodison, "Boston Herald" (Sept. 17, 2007)
* [http://www.boston-online.com/bizarro/the_ho_chi_minh_memorial_gas_tank.html The Ho Chi Minh Memorial Gas Tank] at Boston Online
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