Cincinnati is blessed that ArtWorks has added over 120 murals throughout the city – many of which are downtown. Along comes BLINK, which adds murals 10 murals to the collection by artists from Belgium, Brazil, England, Lithuania, Netherlands, Puerto Rico, Peru, Spain, and the United States. Enjoy the ones I saw.
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We didn’t see all the murals that evening, but here’s a glimpse.
George Clooney is one of Cincinnati’s beloved native sons – but he wasn’t the first famous Clooney in the area. Locals know George’s dad (Nick) from his many years in local news, but before that, it was George’s aunt who made a name for herself here and on the national stage – Rosemary Clooney -who ArtWorks featured on the Swing Around Rosie mural. (My past post about it.)
For BLINK, Agar (a social intelligence company) transformed the Swing Around Rosie mural into a projection display of song and dance called Swing & Sway. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a full video with good song quality – so I recommend following the suggestions associated with each of the videos below.
This one has the best audio, but excludes the beginning and ends too soon. If you get bored, forward to 1:40.
Audio isn’t very good, but it shows more. Start at 0:40 so it overlaps with the previous video.
Here’s the full clip, but the sound isn’t very good. At least you can see the beginning (the first minute).
Charlie Harper is an American artist known for his unique use of geometrics in his wildlife drawings. Because he is regarded as a local treasure, ArtWorks honored him featuring his work on a mural (seen below). Readers may recall my post featuring the two bluebirds titled Homecoming.
For BLINK, We Have Become Vikings (a local multimedia company) transformed this mural into their own tribute to Charlie Harper by projecting other Harper creations onto the mural. Enjoy Our Own Homecoming.
John Ruthven is an American artist known for painting wildlife in the style of James Audubon. Awarded a National Medal of Arts in 2004 and an area resident, ArtWorks honored him by featuring one of his paintings as a mural (Seen below). I also posted about this mural – Martha: The Last Passenger Pigeon.
For BLINK, Foster & Flux (a local animation studio) transformed the mural into a vivid and beautiful story. Enjoy the video showing For the Birds.
I still can’t tell what’s going on, but this is whimsical to me.
Even though it is difficult for me to apply meaning, I like this abstract design
Is this representing a bug or a fish?
But it connected to something.
Yet it all comes together forming Energy and Grace – after all, energy and momentum are connected.
When I first saw the ArtWorks mural, the abstract side of me liked it, but it doesn’t deliver the boldness that I also enjoy. I see fun, but it also bores me relatively quick. Yet, it served as ArtWorks first abstract mural.
Three reasons exist for Energy and Grace:
Saluting the resurgence of the downtown neighborhood known as Over the Rhine (OTR)
Celebrating the Art Academy of Cincinnati (AAC), which moved to OTR in 2005
Honoring an internationally acclaimed local artist who is also a faculty member at AAC
ArtWorks and AAC collaborated in 2013 to transform one of Kim Krause’s paintings into this mural located at 16 E. 12th Street in downtown Cincinnati. Energy and Grace’s design displays energy and momentum in a fun and whimsical way.
Not long ago I introduced BLINK Cincinnati to readers. For BLINK, Brace Berlin (a production services company) transformed this mural with projection mapping into their version of Energy and Grace – and it is featured below in this 30-second promo for BLINK. Enjoy.
Thanks to Resa (Toronto’s leading lady) whose posts about street art in Toronto and Winnipeg, got me interested in outdoor art in my area. I invite readers to visit Resa’s blog (but tell her I sent you).
A Frank Angle 