Amanda Checco’s Ice Cream Daydream has some competition from Tina Westerkamp’s The Divine Proportion of All Things for Maya’s Favorite ArtWorks Mural of 2010. Maybe I can have two favorites: Amanda’s in Cincinnati and Tina’s across the river in Covington.
Located at 714 Washington St. on the side of Be Concerned, this is ArtWorks‘ largest mural to date. Move over, Raymond Thunder-Sky Legacy Mural! The Divine Proportion of All Things is freaking huge — capturing the whole thing means that you can’t really see any of the intricate details.
The concept of the divine proportion guides all parts of the design. You can see it everywhere, from the curve of the tulip leaf to the tail of the phoenix.
According to the artist, the idea of interconnectedness was central to the design of the mural. The bubbles coming out of the fish’s mouth on the right side of the mural become the bee’s pollen on the left.
A pig? Of course!
A small ouroboros reinforces the idea of rebirth that’s present in the central motif of the phoenix.
The details on the lower part of the mural were chosen and painted by the teen apprentices.
Seriously, this mural is a wonder. My photos don’t do it justice. I was really impressed by Westerkamp’s indoor mural in the Duke Convention Center in downtown Cincinnati, entitled Once Upon the River. That mural is a dimensional assemblage; this one is painted but features a similar layered, assembled aesthetic that rewards the viewer who spatial interacts with the piece. You can spend so much time in front of this mural, taking in more and more of its details, all of which are full of meaning to this community. Wow.
Department of Everyday Visualingual 
The work is truly amazing! The all over compositional climax is truly striking with layers of cool and warm colors that weave in and out of the liquefied cubic arena. What a wonder!
This mural rocks, for sure.
It’s so rare to see a mural with such a watercolor-like saturation. It’s gorgeous, but I have to say it does evoke Lisa Frank (which isn’t a bad thing at all, just have to get that out there). Sure wish the murals in Oakland were half as artful as the ones you get to enjoy!
Yeah, the painting technique is really unusual for a mural — it’s all layered and glazed, and really much richer than you can see in the photos. Your Lisa Frank comment is really funny, as that was actually said about a different new mural — Ice Cream Daydream, and the artist was not too happy about it!
This is my favorite of all ArtWorks murals, with Tina’s mural in Lower price hill coming in a close second.
I probably have about five favorites — this is one, yours is another, and then probably Christian’s, the V&V one, and Campy Washington.
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