Amy Landesberg
1996
Anodized and painted steel
“Birth of Atlanta” commemorates the 1837 founding of Atlanta, or Marthasville as it was known at the time. Not far from the monument at the intersection of Central Avenue and Alabama Street, the “Zero Mile Post” marks where City Founders drove a stake into the ground to establish the center point of the circle of the one-mile radius that formed the original city limits. The monument consists of a steel frame with seven pairs of perforated metal “feathers and wings” in flight. Its design makes an abstract reference to the Phoenix, the Greek mythological bird that rose from the ashes. Atlanta’s Civil War history and the burning of Atlanta by General Sherman led Atlanta to take up the symbol of the phoenix. The structure is located above Heritage Row in Underground Atlanta and accompanies a multimedia exhibit on the history of Atlanta managed by the Atlanta History Center.
The artist, Amy Landesberg, works as both an artist and architect. In her work, the boundaries between intimate art works, public art, and architecture overlap. She has a number of commissions throughout the City of Atlanta and has received numerous grants and awards for her work.
Underground Atlanta
Central Ave. SW and Lower Alabama St.
Atlanta, GA 30303