To Ohio and Back: Day Two--A Muralling Way

We left Columbus well into the afternoon, so I was a bit nervous about when we would arrive at our ending destination on Saturday. Though somewhere along the road, I let things be where they would be. We'll get there when we do.

Our first stop on our mini-tour of Ohio towns was Marion. What led us on this path was the murals painted by Eric Grohe. A friend, Jen, had sent me images of his work a year ago, and his murals stunned me with how he could utilize bare sides of buildings and some paint to create wonderfully three-dimensional works of art.

The first mural we stopped to view was alongside a small public park in downtown Marion. It had rained and still was a bit misty, so I didn't bring out the camera. In some sense, the work was very characteristic of Grohe: three dimensional perspective, prominently painted archways, and symbolic figures which represented a quality of the town or human condition. For a view of the mural, click Marion welcomes.

After Marion, we headed to Bucyrus. Driving on one of the main roads into town, we spotted the Grohe's murals and parked to look more closely. The first we viewed was Bucyrus, Great American Crossroad


Viewing Bucyrus, 100 Hundred Years Ago

The detail and vividness of the art captured my attention completely. The man reading the newspaper. The boy selling the paper. A couple standing. Together they are common people on a common day, yet the facial expressions give them character. Even small touches like the water tower on top of a building to the left show the artist's focus on the moment which harkens back to the turn of the 20th century in a small town in Ohio.


Man and Children

The Main Plaza

A small plaque illuminated the viewing of the mural, explaining the plaza features and some of the symbols.


Explaning

A freshness of activity dominates the scene. Also, seeing the present overlapped with the past gives a sense of perspective that is heightened by the sharp three dimensional presentation and the use of archways which force the viewer's eyes to peer through and into the scene.

Eric Grohe and others researched the history of the town to faithfully show how Bucyrus appeared decades ago. The central blue building and the courthouse are two buildings which have lasted from an idyllic past shown in the mural to the present.


Then: The Artist Recollects the Past

Now

The other mural in town is called Liberty Remembers. It's a tribute to the American veterans. No one is forgotten.


The Lady

Again, the detail is sharp, giving the faces of people much life.


Examining More Closely

If you want to see more detailed photos, just click on the images and the browser will send you to a larger file version on my photo directory.

If you want to read more about Eric Grohe's work or see his other projects, check his web site, Eric Grohe's Murals and Design.