Barry McGee

Jul 23

In Downtown Cincinnati, there’s a significant piece of street art that’s perhaps best viewed, ironically, from local art institutions rather than the street itself.

Whether or not the film was a real documentary or an elaborate piece or art on its own, it didn’t matter. I thoroughly enjoyed Banksy’s “Exit Through The Gift Shop” the first time I saw it. I appreciated the glimpses provided into the lives of street and graffiti artists. It was fascinating and fun. The opening montage, accompanied fittingly by Richard Hawley’s “Tonight the Streets Are Ours,” was the perfect way to begin the movie, one of my favorite parts of the whole production. When I saw the feature pop up again on Hulu recently, I decided to sit down and watch it once more. I only got a few minutes in before I stopped.

One small scene during the montage had jumped out, feeling incredibly familiar. I rewound and there it was: a white face with heavy eyes, mouth agape and looking up towards the sky. In the clip, you can see the artist standing on a rooftop railing as he paints his creation on the side of a building. I knew I had seen that face somewhere, I just couldn’t initially place where. Then it hit me after a few more replays: “that’s here.”

- Screen grab from Exit Through The Gift Shop.

The film plays out primarily in Los Angeles, not Cincinnati. Nevertheless, the Queen City had apparently made a cameo. Once I got some time, I biked by and was able to confirm that it was in fact the piece of art I had been thinking of. I looked up from the corner of 6th and Walnut and there it was: the face, the same railing, the same roof, and the same building replete with the same stone. The piece in question is by renown artist Barry McGee. McGee is prolific and his work is well known, featured on gallery walls and urban environments across the world. Cincinnati’s buildings have been no stranger to street artists over the years, but well before the genre became celebrated, our city had apparently caught the attention of McGee. I’m not sure when he placed one of his trademark faces on the building that now houses upscale restaurants, the one he can be seen painting in the opening minutes of Exit Through The Ghost Shop, but I’m glad it’s here and has remained for well over a decade.

In what can possibly be considered irony, the piece is perhaps best viewed from local art institutions rather than the street. You can easily see it from Walnut if you happen to look up, but the Contemporary Arts Center and 21C Museum Hotel provide the most direct vistas. Walk the CAC’s stairwell or go next door to the 21C’s rooftop bar and you’ll have a clear view as well as a dynamic look at the surrounding city. The Carew Tower’s observation deck also provides a glimpse.