ArtWorks has done it again with a new 3-in-1 mural by Columbus-born, Cincinnati-based Michael Stillion. You can find it on three corners of Main St. in Over-the-Rhine [at 13th, Woodward and 14th].
Of the three collages on parachute cloth, my favorite is this goat on the side of The Woodward at Main and 14th Sts. A goat — WTF? Is it a reference to Bockfest? Note how the angles of the collage repeat the angles of the arrow-like ghost sign. At first glance, it seems completely random, but it’s actually smartly designed for this site.
I came across a similar goat collage in Stillion’s portfolio, so maybe it’s a recurring motif for him.
The other two collages overtly reference OTR, making them seem a bit more like sanctioned public art and less like acts of random street art. The bicycle is on the corner of Woodward Rd.
The building collage is on the corner of 13th St. A red-gloved hand and a blue-gloved hand — Republicans and Democrats working together to preserve this historic neighborhood? Okay, probably not.
Almost all ArtWorks murals take the form of a rectangle, usually taking up the whole side of a high-visibility building. This series is instead embedded into the fabric of the neighborhood. The scale is intimate and the placement a bit hidden, making the collages into fun finds for pedestrians. I hope we’ll start seeing more atypical murals like this around town in the future.
Department of Everyday Visualingual 
More, more, more – ArtWorks.
I’m sure there will be more cool murals painted around the city next summer!
These murals are really artwork.Like ‘sheep’, ‘bicycle’ , it looks very vivid.
I’m glad you like the project! It’s pretty unusual for Cincinnati, and I hope we’ll see more work like this in the future.
Wow, how fun!
I was one of the 12 apprentices from Artworks that worked with Michael Stillion this past summer! Yes, the murals leaned more towards commissioned pieces as these had to be approved by members of Artworks and Over-the-Rhine as well – our challenge was to speak of the quirky and historic side of the neighborhood. It was an AMAZING process and the feedback from residents was great! They love em, I love em as well as the group, and I must thank you for taking photos of them because I haven’t been in OTR since August! Wonderful pictures! 🙂
Joseph, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts! I love the silliness of these murals, and also their smaller scale and atypical placement. It’s a great public art project, and congratulations to you and your team for a job well done.
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