Jorge Blanco's "Go Bongo" installed in Norfolk, VA

Sarasota’s resident master of giant colorful stylized public sculpture has found another home for his work. Jorge Blanco, the Venezuelan sculptor and artist, has called Sarasota his creative home since 1999. His works such as “The Runners” on Tamiami Trail are as much a part of the artistic landscape as the any building or artistic organization.

Blanco’s stylized, playful and eye-catching have found a home and fan base all across the globe. With multiple works installed across the Florida and the greater United States as well as in countries like his native Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, Switzerland, France, Spain, Germany and Japan, Blanco artistic perspective and reach have reached a global audience. Most recently in December, Blanco’s “The Rollers 28” sold at Christie’s in New York for $20,000.

One of his most recent works “Go Bongo” was just installed in the Ghent Station neighborhood of Norfolk, VA. Featuring his patented half moon-faced humans, “Go Bongo” depicts a blue person and his blue Schnauzer dog for a walk. Bongo is a familiar presence in Blanco’s work with a red colored version being depicted in the piece “Bongo Red 71” with the precocious dog looking up at his master.

“Go Bongo” and its placement in Ghent Station, a new retail and development hub in the heart of Norfolk that was constructed throughout 2014, is an example of the importance of public art work in establishing a feel and culture to an area. Just as much as the Fresh Market shopping center and new area businesses, Blanco’s “Go Bongo” will serve as a constant reminder of the vibrant health of the new neighborhood.