American Gothic was a very easy location to get to. Situated on the side of Jeni’s Ice Cream right off of High Street, this is an iconic mural of the Short North. This mural was put up more than 10 years after the Mona Lisa mural, completed in 2002. The mural was done by Mike Altman and Steve Galgas and is inspired by Grant Wood’s contemporary art piece made in 1930.

In the original painting, Wood’s portrait was of his sister, Nan, and his dentist posing in front of a home in Iowa that Wood spotted that was built in a style called “Carpenter Gothic”, hence the title of the piece. It was supposedly an “affectionate portrait” of the Midwest, depicting survivors of the farming life. Wood was inspired by the Midwest style of his homeland after traveling in Europe to study art.

The original portrait is quite iconic of the Midwest farming area and of its people, so it is an appropriate mural for the arts district of the capital of a farming state, Ohio. Like the Mona Lisa mural also in the Short North, this mural has a twist on the original piece. The woman in the picture is flipped upside down, which may reflect the change in industry in Ohio from farmland to larger industrial and urban areas. As the people and the culture of any community change, the art of the time often reflects these changes. This piece is a mix between the old ways and the new times.

Sources:

http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/6565

http://www.americangothichouse.net/about/the-painting/

http://www.civicartsproject.com/2012/05/09/short-north-gothic-mural-in-short-north-arts-district-columbus-ohio/

I have seen many photos of this location and have always wanted to find out where it is located and visit. This mural is an iconic location in the Short North. A trip down Pearl Street becomes much more interesting when you pass this mural of Mona Lisa on its side, a concept introduced by Chris Steele. He said that the Mona Lisa was one of the most famous Italian paintings so it seems that the Short North, an arts district, should have Mona depicted here. Brian Clemons completed this piece in 1990, making it one of the oldest murals in the district. This piece is a bit out of the way off of High Street but it is a great photo opportunity.

This building was a 1920s body shop that was later converted to condominiums. The Short North district in Columbus has a long history of arts and contains numerous small galleries, shops, and restaurants. This building captivates a lot about the history in Columbus. A project to decorate the Short North resulted in numerous murals all around this arts district. The artist chose a building that had once been a small business that was transformed into condominiums due to a rapid expanse of population and the gentrification of the Short North. High Street is now bustling with activity and young people walking their dogs. Pearl Street runs parallel to High Street and is filled with mostly apartments and back-alleyways. However, when you travel off the beaten path there is always some new sight to see.

Welcome to u.osu.edu. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!