Title: “A Jaguar’s Spirit”
Location: 201 W. Worthington Ave
Artist: Valentin Ramirez
Date: 2023
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist Info:@deadfolks
Story: WOW. Emerging muralist Valentin Ramirez received a commission to paint this wall in South End and he nailed it. Ramirez’s second mural shows the depth of his talent with its beautiful imagery and symbolism. Ramirez uses spray paint for a lot of the larger areas of the mural but does detail work here with a brush.
Key Formal Elements:
Ramirez is inspired to share his Mexican heritage through his art. In the central image, a combination of a fearless Aztec warrior and jaguar makes a bold and powerful statement. The red gemstones and color represent blood and life. The turquoise color is a connection to jade which represents life and purity. Feathers are a symbol of status and respect.
Location: 1520 South Tryon Street at Elder Gallery
Artists: Lasha Khidashelli, Edward Belbusti
Date: 2014
Media: Sandstone on white marble base, metal
Artists Info: @khidashelilasha, FB @EBArts
Story: Elder Gallery of Art represents a variety of contemporary artists with an emphasis on fine glass art and paintings. They regularly feature changing exhibits and host a monthly art program open to the public. Artist Lasha Khidashelli is originally from the Republic of Georgia and created the white marble sculpture located under the name of the gallery and the metal sculpture by the door. Architect and sculptor Edward Belbusti explores tension and structure in his work and created the sculpture in the grassy area near the intersection.
Key Formal Elements:
Take the time to compare and contrast these three sculptures by two different artists. How you do you experience the artworks? Are you able to walk around them and explore them from different angles? Free-standing artworks gain dimension as the viewer observes the art from different sides. How does your view change?
Abstract and Non-Objective are good terms to use when you are viewing art that does not look like something you recognize in real life. All you see are shapes and form. Sometimes when viewing abstract art, you can attempt to make comparisons to something in real life. Maybe you see some basic forms of a figure in the white marble sculpture. Maybe not. Often for the artist, the meaning of the sculpture has more to do with the material and his mastery of creating forms with delicate voids, surfaces, and textures for your enjoyment. So enjoy!
Location: 176 East Boulevard
Title: Beautiful Utilities
Artist: Laurie Smithwick
Date: 2018
Media: Printed vinyl
Artist Info: @lauriesmithwick
Story: Through a South End Creative Lab Grant from Historic South End, the Amplify the Signal project sponsored eight artists to cover traffic signal boxes along South Boulevard. Local artist Laurie Smithwick was the project manager for this creative endeavor.
Key Formal Elements:
The Amplify the Signal project takes utilitarian boxes and turns them into art. Beauty meets function! The soft flowing colors of Smithwick’s composition reflect the flow of pedestrians through this area. Dynamic lines and circles perhaps suggests the constant movement of the light rail and automobiles.
Location: Charlotte Rail Trail
Artist: David Furman
Date: 2019
Media: Wood and aluminum frame
Artist Info: @centrocityworks
Story: Architect David Furman often contributes works of art to the Rail Trail. Unexpectedly sometimes. Like this one which showed up in 2019. Furman has been creating work like this for years in his studio and this is a new work he designed by deconstructing two older sculptures to create a new one for this space.
Key Formal Elements:
Inspired by the work of American sculptor Louise Nevelson, Furman creates assemblages. An assemblage is art made by assembling or bringing together disparate elements – often everyday objects – to create a new work. While the variety of different shapes, negative spaces, and surfaces make your eye wander, the use of a single color brings unity to the work. Can you look closely at the work and find an object that looks familiar?
Location: 1501 South Mint Street
Artist: Southern Tiger Collective
Date: 2020
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist Info: @southerntigercollective
Story: Southern Tiger Collective is a group of muralists, fine artists, and street artists creating unique exhibits and installations. The group is an active part of the arts community here in Charlotte.
Key Formal Elements:
The owners of the 1501 South Mint bar wanted a mural to honor and celebrate the legacy of Kobe Bryant who died tragically along with his daughter and others in a helicopter accident in 2020. The artists use only the colors of the Los Angeles Lakers – purple, gold, black and white – with the flesh tones to commemorate a beloved sports figure.
Title: “Plight of Hand”
Location: 1055 Metropolitan Avenue, 6th floor of the parking garage
Artist: Tay Douglas
Date: 2019
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist Info: @tarantuga
Story: If you made it to the top of the parking deck, you are rewarded with both a mural and a lovely view of uptown. Once a local artist and now based in the Northeast, @tarantuga lost a wall, then got a wall, and then finally got a lift to do his mural painting for Talking Walls 2019.
Key Formal Elements:
A large hand holds what looks like a mountain range. With the water behind, perhaps it is a reference to North Carolina and from the mountains to the sea.
Location: 1510 Central Avenue back wall in the parking lot at corner of Central Avenue and Thomas Avenue
Artists: Matt Hooker, Matt Moore, Nick Napoletano
Date: 2016
Media: Acrylic paint
Artist Info: @hookermedia, @puckmcgruff, @napoletanoart
Story: This large wall mural features a portrait of Brandy Alexander, a celebrated North Carolina drag queen, and uses her image to create awareness around the 2016 HB2 conflict and discrimination against the LGBT community.
Key Formal Elements:
The use of iconography or symbols in this artwork is important. Who is Pat McCrory and what was his role in Charlotte? Why is his portrait delicately included in the cameo earrings? How does the gender-neutral charm at the end of the pearl necklace relate to the HB2 issue? What may be the significance of the breaking shackles?