Project Overview
Modern Hieroglyphs | Central Station | South Main Arts District
“We readily identify these symbols with ancient civilizations and religion, but how will the symbols of today be interpreted when our times become ancient?”
Anthony Lee's Modern Hieroglyphs mural at Central Station in the historic South Main Arts District depicts a variety of widely used symbols in contemporary culture. Lee describes the project in these terms, "Visual symbols are a part of every culture and society. We readily identify these symbols with ancient civilizations and religion, but how will the symbols of today be interpreted when our times become ancient? What symbols represent 21st-century living? The original inhabitants of both Memphis cities in Tennessee and Egypt used symbols, or simple drawings, to chronicle their happenings in a time before text. The aim of this project is to make conspicuous the symbols of today that may seem mundane and are overlooked".
In 2009, Lee's mural was highlighted by Public Art Networks' Year in Review at the annual Americans for the Arts conference.
In 2020, Modern Hieroglyphs was highlighted by UAC’s Revisiting program. Artist Paige Ellens’ virtual installation, Revisiting the Symbol, reinterprets Lee’s mural in light of a decade of technological change. The exhibition features original videos created for the project by 25 local, national, and international filmmakers.
About the Artist
Anthony D. Lee
Artist Anthony D. Lee is a native of Memphis, TN. His work has been influenced by the city’s creative atmosphere, its culinary and musical environment, as well as the Civil Rights Movement. Anthony has completed several public art projects with the UrbanArt Commission, among them the award-winning Modern Hieroglyphs mural at Central Station on South Main Street. He also lived on the island of St. Croix, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where the vibrancy of life and color contributed to his artistic development.
