On my first full day in Dublin on a summer study abroad trip, I had an hour lunch break after my Travel Writing class. Feeling more wanderlust than hunger, I decided to use this time to explore the streets of lower Dublin. In my jet-lagged state I stumbled across a little restaurant called the Bernard Shaw. It was surrounded on all sides by alleyways adorned with fantastic street art and whimsical murals. In the center of these alleys, atop a rundown building, protruded neon lettering that spelled out “emancipate yourself.” I thought it was cool, snapped some photos, and moved on. Thinking about it later, that piece stood out to me more than the other artwork I had seen that day. The more I thought about it, the more interested I became. I decided to do some research to see if I could find anything about the artist. Not sure where to begin, I did a Google search for “emancipate yourself,” which, unsurprisingly, yielded only Bob Marley lyrics. I tacked on “Dublin” to my search and was pleasantly surprised to find exactly the information I wanted. I then embarked on a journey across the Internet to learn more about Irish history and street art.
I discovered that “Emancipate Yourself” was created by Dublin street artist Maser. The piece was originally housed in an art exhibition called Dublin Contemporary 2011, hung unimaginatively against a beige wall. After its installation in its present location in Fall 2012, the piece made a much bolder statement. Seeing the piece from the street level, the viewer sees these words from behind the iron bars of a tall fence, as though the message itself is in its own prison from which it yearns to be emancipated. The lettering towers powerfully over the viewer, giving a strong sense of authority.
One detail that I almost didn’t notice and didn’t immediately realize was part of this piece is the face of Daniel O’Connell, known as the Emancipator, to the right of the words. Maser has stated that this piece is a tribute to O’Connell, who emancipated Ireland from English rule. Knowing this, the piece takes on a whole new meaning as a political statement of anti-English sentiment in Ireland as well as a message of personal freedom.
Maser stated that his inspiration for this piece was a neon sign on O’Connell Street that read, “Why go bald.” This inspired Maser to think of the self-conscious teen he used to be and all of the people who are struggling to free themselves from their personal demons. After reading about this inspiration, I thought of the piece in relation to me personally, and my motivations for traveling to Dublin. It got me thinking about all the things I have emancipated myself from through travel and other means. With only two words, Maser managed to create a political statement, a message that resonates with viewers on a personal level, and a lesson in Irish history all wrapped up in one.
View photos of this piece here: