A special interactive mural on the outside of the Ocala Citizen Service Center has been completed.
Titled “Electromagnetism,” the mural was painted by local artist Drake Arnold on the side of the building at 201 SE Third St. that sits adjacent to the OTRAK, a connector between the Ocala Downtown Market, Midtown and Tuscawilla Art Park. The interactive mural provides an artistic element to residents utilizing the multimodal parkway.
The mural is the most recent addition to the city’s public art collection. It provides the community a chance to experience augmented reality with a smart phone using Arnold’s “Fractal Spirit AR” app.
To view the mural with augmented reality, download the mobile app from the app store, install it on your mobile device, and if asked, allow the app permission to use your device’s camera and gallery.
The app uses image recognition software to recognize Arnold’s paintings, then overlays custom 3D animation to match each piece of artwork. As viewers walk around and look at the artwork from different angles, corresponding 3D animation will play interactively from the same viewing angle through their cell phones or tablets.
The portrait on the right of the mural depicts Michael Faraday, a pioneer of electromagnetism and electrochemistry, while the abstract design of lines, cubes and spheres on the shorter northern wall is intended to be a stylized representation of the wires, nodes and structures that comprise a modern-day power grid.
“Faraday was a self-taught scientist and became one of the most influential thinkers in history, so much so, that Albert Einstein kept a picture of Faraday on the wall of his study,” Arnold said. “This geometric, pattern-based artwork is meant to be an abstract representation of our interconnectivity in the modern world, thanks in part to the electric and utility companies that power our telecommunication devices.”
Arnold works in both traditional and digital media. He uses acrylic and aerosol for his work when painting on canvas or wall surfaces. His digital projects include creating animations and interactive design work for such applications as projection mapping, 3D printing and virtual reality. His work can be described as containing elements of psychedelia, fantasy, nature, surrealism and classical inspiration.
Arnold started the “Electromagnetism” project on Feb. 24 and completed it in late March.
“Drake’s ongoing connections with the Ocala art scene, including being a resident at the newly opened Magnolia Art Xchange, member of the Marion Cultural Alliance, and work on previous projects within the community were a true asset in working on this type of project,” said Laura Walker, Cultural Arts and Sciences Division Head. “His work with augmented reality on this scale of a canvas worked well with the location.”
Ocala offers many visual and performing art opportunities in city spaces. Detailed information about current programming and future projects can be found at www.ocalafl.org/culturalarts. Self-guided public art tours are available at Ocala.oncell.com.