Starting on September 9th, 2018 and ending on December 25, 2018, artist Kathleen Bitetti will leave an artwork at a place in Boston where Ralph Waldo Emerson lived, lectured, visited and/or frequented. Emerson’s footprint in this city is vast. He often walked along many of Boston’s historic streets. For this project, Bitetti chose sites that are clustered in Boston’s downtown area or are in very close walking distance from that part of the city. Bitetti will post on her facebook page when she plans to leave a piece behind for Crossings: Emerson Was Here (Boston)
Dramatic changes occurred during Emerson’s lifetime. Locally, the City of Boston grew at an accelerated rate. It increased both in size via landfill and in population. Nationally, the War of 1812, the financial crisis known as the Panic of 1837, the American Civil War, the ending of slavery, and the election and the assignation of President Lincoln, are some of the many events that impacted Emerson and the United States of America in the 19th century.
Each artwork Bitetti leaves behind consists of a large clear plastic bag with a white envelope that contains historical information and a white canvas “bag” that Bitetti has sewn. The inside of the white canvas “bag” has fabric with images of 44th U.S. President Barack Obama and the American flag. The white canvas was chosen to represent Emerson’s humble beginnings and the first trip he took to Europe in 1832. It was this voyage that set him on his path to becoming an acclaimed and influential thinker, writer, poet, and lecturer. The images of the current U.S. President not only reference the historic importance of the U.S.’s first African American president, but they also directly call attention to Emerson’s abolitionist activist work and his support of civil and women’s rights. Bitetti’s included several maps of the City of Boston to illustrate the rapid man-made geographical changes that befell Boston during the 1800’s.
Objects in the bag/envelope: 1) a hand made bookmark that symbolizes Emerson’s love of reading and his strong belief in public education and community libraries 2) a packet of tea 3) charms. Bitetti chose to include a packet of the brand of tea that was thrown into the sea for the 1773 Boston Tea Party as way to reference Emerson reading his poem Boston on December 16, 1873 at Faneuil Hall to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. Several of the charms underscore Emerson’s travels and highlight Boston as a historic major trading seaport. These charms also reference Bitetti’s love of the ocean. The leaf charms represent Emerson’s transcendentalism and his love of nature. Several of the charms also have multiple meanings: The lady bug is Massachusetts’ official state bug and symbolizes good luck; the ship charms once again reference travel and trade, but also reference Bitetti’s immigrant past as both sides of her family immigrated from Europe to the U.S. in the early 1900’s via ship; and symbolically the dragonfly in “the west” has negative connotations, while in “the east” it has positive connotations. This particular charm is also a homage to Bitetti’s long standing friend and supporter: Sophia Solar Michalski.
For more information on Kathleen and/or to let her know you found one of the works, visit: www.KathleenBitetti.com
*During May 8-15, 2010, Bitetti completed “Crossings: Emerson Was Here”. She selected several of the places Emerson stayed at or visited in London and left an art work at those sites as part of the 2010 London Biennale (which was founded in 1998 by artist David Medalla).