Baltimore

Baltimore 2012: Painted on the outside wall of Montego Bay Jamaican Restaurant

Baltimore 2011: At three stories high and 1,400 square feet, “Love in Search of a Word” looms over the community of Greenmount, known as the Arts District and home to the historic Greenmount Cemetery. This mural, created with acrylic and spray paint, is a celebration of artists of all stripes: the singer, actor, musician, painter, filmmaker, photographer, writer, dancer and performance artist. None of the artists featured are famous; instead, the mural pays homage to the majority of artists who struggle in obscurity, facing hardships in order to express themselves creatively and achieve their dreams, who play a vital role in the fabric of all human societies. The imagery is specific to Greenmount, as the trademark row houses are prominently featured and the “North Ave/ Greenmount Ave” street signs announce a major intersection familiar to all residents. The cemetery is also highlighted, including headstones that have the names of artists buried there, right across the street from the mural. In the center of the painting the shape of a huge bird soars overhead, filled with the faces people of all ages, races, genders, and personalities, demonstrating the diversity of the Greenmount community and of Baltimore in general. One of the most unique aspects of this mural is its perspective; you observe the scene as though lying on the ground, looking up at buildings, trees and people looming over you from all sides in a distorted way, some appearing upside down or sideways. This perspective was influenced by the work of Canadian photographer Brent Townshend, who creates amazing perspectives with his series “Looking Up” (check out his work at http://www.tc.com). It is worth approaching the mural for a closer inspection, as the artwork is intensely detailed by a wild collage of ancient Aztec hieroglyphics, chaotic abstract splashes and drips, stencil art, graffiti-influenced spray paint techniques and African tribal patterns, among many other surprises. The title, “Love in Search of a Word,” is taken from a poem by Sidney Lanier, a musician and poet buried in Greenmount Cemetery. Commissioned by the Baltimore Office on Promotion and the Arts (BOPA)