Murals

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On Extra Murals

Before riding into the blog sunset, I’ve enjoyed cleaning out my blog closet. Whether pictures sitting in folders waiting for the words, notes waiting for expansion, or ideas waiting to be made real – I smile each time when I finally use something in a post.

Cincinnati’s murals have always caught my eye – but Resa is the one who motivated me to create posts about them. Resa, thank you for your encouragement. There are many murals that I’ve wanted to visit, but never got there. On the other hand, I have a hodge-podge collection of unused photos to share. Well – I don’t think I’ve used any of these.

Some of these are creations by ArtWorks – others not. Any favorites?

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To see more of my posts about the murals of Cincinnati, click here.

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).

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On a Floodwall

Embed from Getty Images

 

That’s the Ohio River with a bridge connecting downtown Cincinnati on the right to Covington, Kentucky on the left.

Floodwalls are walls built to prevent water entering an area. Not every town along a river has one – actually – most towns don’t. Cincinnati doesn’t. Covington and Newport Kentucky have them, but this post is about the one in Covington.

Led by artist Robert Dafford, his team of artists created 18 murals on the floodwall illustrating the Covington’s history from 800 BCE to the present. The collection is known as the Roebling Murals because of their location near the Roebling Bridge, a suspension bridge built by the same designer before the famous Brooklyn Bridge.

Dafford also created others murals throughout the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys, plus others in France, Belgium, England, and Canada. Enjoy a look at the Roebling Murals of Covington, Kentucky. Any favorites?

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More Information

Although these are very traditional, Resa needs to know about them.

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On BLINK Murals

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.

 

To see all the murals, click to visit the BLINK page on murals. 

To see other posts about BLINK, click here.

To see past posts featuring Cincinnati’s ArtWorks murals, click here.

For those who enjoy murals and street art, I encourage you to visit the one who got me interested in this topic –Resa @ Graffiti Lux & Murals.

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On Two Forms of Energy and Grace

Hmmmm …. I wonder what these represent?

 

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:

  1. Saluting the resurgence of the downtown neighborhood known as Over the Rhine (OTR)
  2. Celebrating the Art Academy of Cincinnati (AAC), which moved to OTR in 2005
  3. 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.

 

To see more of my posts about the murals of Cincinnati, click here.

To learn more about artist Kim Krause, click here to visit his site.

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).

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On Simply Two Birds

First of all, they are more than simply two birds – more than two bluebirds – they are two Charley Harper bluebirds.

One on the left …

… one on the right.

Two bluebirds – a male and a female – coming home

Known for his minimalist, geometric style commonly featuring wildlife in his work, Charley Harper (1922-2007) is a local artist who became accomplished and celebrated. I didn’t realize Harper’s impact until I saw his work in a bookstore of a Frank Lloyd Wright home.

Homecoming (Bluebirds) is an ArtWorks mural honoring Charley Harper. Simplistic in style, this work is for Harper and his wife (Edie) whose studios were in their home. A past post I did on Charley Harper is further below.

ArtWorks is a unique non-profit organization that employs and trains local youth to create art in the community. To date, ArtWorks is responsible for over 125 murals throughout Cincinnati – which many are in the main part of the city.

Basic Information
Homecoming (Bluebirds)
Location: 119 East Court Street (Downtown Cincinnati)
Designer: Charley Harper

A past post about Charley Harper

To see more of my posts about the murals of Cincinnati, click here.

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.)