'Renaissance III' is a story of a city with a long memory. Though time and economic considerations forced it to alter the foundation of its identity as a center of industrial production, they also opened a door to the evolution of that identity into a city engaged in a dynamic process of balancing service, industry and technology with a certain nostalgia and mythical romanticism that are the by-products of its multicultural demographics. The components of this drawing signify the following ideas. The rising sun mitigates the colors of the dark sky to suggest the fading of our dark history of coal burning and steel production into a changing future whose face is yet to become clear. The towers of PPG's 'fortress' in the background refer to the imposing walls surrounding medieval city-states and the power concentrated within them. Reinforcing this is the 'corporate knight'. He represents the 19th and 20th century 'robber barons' that built this city and their fortunes on the backs of workers from the many cultures that distinguish the city. The traditional chain-mail garment worn by medieval knights under their armor has become his necktie while the folded computer printout (dot-matrix printers were still in use in 1985) is his handkerchief, a symbol of chivalry, courtly manners and privileged information that are the veneer and essence of modern boardroom politics. The ornate helmet, based on a fourteenth century Italian model, protects him against corporate intrigue and potential environmental outcome. An equally ornate gauntlet covers the hand clutching a burly briefcase, but his thumb is exposed as a small reminder of the vulnerable humanity within the armor. The knight's partially armored steed implies the city's transition from an identity based on the use of indigenous materials to one re-branded by service and technology. Soon to be replaced by it's digital descendant, a final symbol of Pittsburgh's transition is the vintage parking meter in the foreground, reminding us that time is money and money is the lingua franca of progress. The original art for 'Renaissance III' was made for my elder son, whose interests it reflected at the time. It was exhibited and reviewed widely in Pittsburgh, most recently for 'Pittsburgh Re-Cast', an exhibition celebrating Pittsburgh's 250th birthday in 2007 held at The Senator John Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh. The original art for 'Renaissance III' is not for sale, but gicleé prints may be ordered.