Artist: Antonio Martinez

Location: 609 S. Illinois Ave., Carbondale, IL

Materials: Existing wall and paint

Installation date: 2023

The vibrant Owl Mural on the Southeast corner of Slabz Skatepark at 609 S. Illinois depicts an atomic/celestial landscape. Asked about his imagery, Antonio Martinez explains: “The mural was inspired by my memory of the sky during the 2017 total solar eclipse, the legacy of the Bucky Dome, the natural environment, and the Owl. For me, the Owl symbolizes wisdom gained through hardship, with the guidance of creativity, social awareness, and intuition. Six orbs rotate around an ellipse: numerically, six is a nod to the atomic number of Carbon on the periodic table and a wink to Carbondale’s namesake. This Owl/Eclipse idea represents a rejuvenation/rebirth for Carbondale, gained through creativity and ingenuity, which Buckminster Fuller embodied in his teachings. Other important cultural influences include the spiritualist paintings of Hilma af Klint and the Azteca/Meshica philosophy of “total.”