- Arturo Lindsay, 2003
Architecture
Painted aluminum, bronze
City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs
Decorative exterior railings and medallions on the Municipal Courthouse feature Yoruba symbols of eyes and lightning bolts, which represent the overseeing of crossroads and justice respectively. Courthouses are essentially crossroads – public places where issues of social justice are adjudicated and where fundamental changes dramatically altering the future direction of people's lives can occur. In response, Arturo Lindsay has drawn upon the mythology of the Yoruba, a West African civilization that has contributed greatly to the cultural traditions of the United States and all of the Americas. Two Yoruba deities known as “orishas” speak to the courthouse’s purpose and daily activities; Orisha Eshu-Elegba, the guardian of crossroads, and Shango, the orisha in charge of social justice, are both referenced in the designs.
