Massachusetts Has the Largest Copyrighted Piece of Art on Earth

Learning random fun facts is, well, fun. And like that adage, "You learn something new every day", this most definitely fits one of those moments.

Let me introduce you to the largest copyrighted piece of art on the planet. It's in Boston, along 93, known for its gridlock. So for locals, it's an everyday sight.

Talk about art in open spaces right along Interstate 93 in the southern part of the city, where this 140-foot-tall gas tank sits along the Atlantic Ocean.

Those gigantic, paintbrush-like strokes in orange, yellow, green, purple, and blue adorning the tank were commissioned. That makes this piece of art (lovingly called the Rainbow Swash) the largest piece of copyrighted art in the world.

This gas tank is a Boston landmark. And the artist?

A nun named Sister Corita Kent was commissioned by the then-Boston Gas Company to beautify the monstrosity. The controversy? Is it a statement against the Vietnam War, or simply a palette of bright, popping colors designed to make us smile?

According to a website dedicated to Sister Corita, her innovative art and approach to design and education drew international acclaim in the 1960s. Her work reflected her concerns about poverty, racism, and war, with messages of peace, happiness, and social justice.

The Boxer Boston says the controversy didn't last long.

On the left side of the blue strip, there’s a subtle profile of an eye and nose and seemingly long-pointed goatee beneath. Considering Kent’s background and the politically tumultuous times, some people took on the belief that the profile was a portrait of Ho Chi Minh in protest against the Vietnam War. She denied the allegations and things were pretty much left there.

According to Trademark and Copyright Law, this was commissioned in 1971 when Sister Corita painted the Rainbow Swash design on an eight-inch scale model, and 20 painters reproduced the work on the tank.  In 1992, the original rainbow-painted tank was torn down, so the Rainbow Swash was recreated on the adjacent tank, which stands today.

If you want to know more, you can click here for some fascinating history on Sister Corita Kent.