SOMA 1:AM Gallery

 Posted by on September 5, 2011
Sep 052011
 
SOMA 1:AM Gallery

South of Market 1 AM Gallery Folsom and 6th Street 1 AM Gallery has been in this site before.  Their new exhibition is entitled Dark Mater.  What I love about the gallery is that they always do graffiti/murals regarding the current exhibit on the side of their building. I love the concept of just using black and white for this. The exhibit explores the darker side of the human psyche. Gathering the voices of eight emerging contemporary artists working across mediums, the aim is to examine and confront the mysterious and sometimes sinister side of human nature.

Lilac Alley

 Posted by on September 4, 2011
Sep 042011
 
Lilac Alley

Mission District – San Francisco Lilac Alley Lilac Street runs parallel to Mission between 24th and 26th Streets.  It is one of those alleys that serves no purpose other than the backs of businesses and the entry to garages.  Several organizations use the buildings in this area as canvases.  I counted the Lilac Mural Project and Mission Art 415 as just two.  There is not doubt the art changes regularly, and these are the ones I found most interesting on my visit.  I know I will return. Signed by Big 549K Crew Signed by Bode, Stan 153, Terms, Cuba and Continue Reading

Mission Super Heroes

 Posted by on September 3, 2011
Sep 032011
 
Mission Super Heroes

Mission District – San Francisco 19th and Mission Street This wonderfully whimsical wall is on the 19th Street side of a grocery at 2290 Mission Street.  It was done by three artists, you can see their names in “bubble” style.  KEB, WAND and BUTR.  The skill in which they have recreated the various super heroes is really rather impressive.  All in all, you can not help but smile when walking by this little gem.

The Mission District, San Francisco

 Posted by on September 2, 2011
Sep 022011
 
The Mission District, San Francisco

The Mission District 1077 Valencia Street Ben Eine has shown up in this site before.  This is done in his circus font. To quote his website:Ben Flynn, a.k.a. EINE, (Born 1970. London, England) shot to international fame when David Cameronpresented one of his works to President Obama as a gift on his first official state visit, but is arguably more famous for ‘Alphabet Street’ – the shutters and murals he painted in his trademark colours and typography in Middlesex Street, London– described by The Times as “a street now internationally recognized as a living piece of art with direct links to Continue Reading

Outer Mission – Swoon

 Posted by on September 1, 2011
Sep 012011
 
Outer Mission - Swoon

Outer Mission – San Francisco Hampshire and 24th Street This was done in 2008, and is showing it’s age.  But the elegance of it is worth showing, even in its present state. Swoon is a street artist originally from Daytona Beach, Florida. She moved to New York City at age nineteen, and specializes in life-size wheatpaste prints and paper cutouts of figures. Swoon, real name Caledonia Dance Curry, studied painting at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and started doing street art around 1999. Swoon’s  paste works depict realistically rendered people, often her friends and family, on the streets in various Continue Reading

Mission District – Bartlett Street Mural

 Posted by on August 31, 2011
Aug 312011
 
Mission District - Bartlett Street Mural

Mission District – San Francisco 85 Bartlett Street Right next to the bright and colorful Amate Mission mural by Jet Martinez, is this fascinating mural. It is a partial reproduction of an original found behind the altar of Old Mission Dolores. The original was believed to be painted by Mission Indians somewhere between 1791 and 1796. Here is all the information in the Jet Martinez’s own words: “When Ben [Ben Wood, the freelance artist who, along with archaeologist Eric Blind, photographed the mural by lowering a camera behind the 18th-century altarpiece blocking it from view] approached me, I didn’t want Continue Reading

Amate Mission

 Posted by on August 30, 2011
Aug 302011
 
Amate Mission

Mission District – San Francisco 85 Bartlett Street “Amate Mission” This mural, by Oakland-based artist Jet Martinez, was created in partnership with The Mission Community Market, the SF Arts Commission “Streetsmarts” program,  and the Mexican Museum.  The title “Amate Mission” is a double entendre, according to Jet: 1. Amate style painting with a Mission District flair. (Including the ever ubiquitous deer that always seem to pop up in Mission District art). 2.”Amate” when spoken in a Central American accent means “love yourself” and in essence, “Love the Mission” It is based on reinterpretations of traditional Mexican folk arts. According to Continue Reading

Mission District Parklet

 Posted by on August 29, 2011
Aug 292011
 
Mission District Parklet

Mission District – San Francisco Parklets A parklet is a small urban park, often created by replacing several parallel parking spots with a patio, planters, trees, benches, café tables with chairs, and/or bicycle parking. Parklets are designed to provide a public place for citizens to relax and enjoy the atmosphere of the city around them, in places where either current urban parks are lacking or if the existing sidewalk width is not large enough to accommodate activities. The movement in San Francisco began as a temporary action.  Taking over a few parking spaces on a city organized date and decorating Continue Reading

Chor Boogie

 Posted by on August 28, 2011
Aug 282011
 
Chor Boogie

Mid Market – San Francisco 2174 Market Street Mid market is a desolate stretch of abandoned store fronts and SRO’s.  This long frontage of boarded up building has been covered by an artist known as Chor.  This is not any random street painter, Chor has a worldwide body of work, including a commissioned piece for the Beijing Olympics.  His website displays his incredible talent, and his blog is loaded with fabulous images of his work. I had the privilege of seeing some of his art gallery work at “The City We Love” showing at 941 Geary street.  If you are in Continue Reading

Bankers Heart

 Posted by on August 27, 2011
Aug 272011
 
Bankers Heart

Financial District – San Francisco 555 California Street This is in the center of A.P. Giannini Plaza.  A.P. Giannini was born in San Jose, California and was the Italian American founder of the Bank of America.  He founded the Bank of Italy in 1904.  The bank was housed in a converted saloon directly across the street from the Columbus Savings & Loan as an institution for the “little fellow”. It was a new bank for the hardworking immigrants other banks would not serve. He offered those ignored customers savings accounts and loans, judging them not by how much money they Continue Reading

Claude Lane Mural

 Posted by on August 26, 2011
Aug 262011
 
Claude Lane Mural

Union Square – San Francisco Claude Lane Claude Lane is a small alley that runs between Bush and Sutter Streets in San Francisco.  It began developing in 1989 when Cafe Claude opened up with an alley entrance.  It blossomed over the years and now rivals Belden Place for shopping, dining and that European cafe experience. Mear painted this mural on the side of Gitane Restaurant at the behest of its owner.  This was done in co-operation with that wonderful group 1:AM that have been in this website before.  I talked to Mear via phone, as he lives in L.A. and he told me he drew Continue Reading

The Sentinel Building in North Beach

 Posted by on August 25, 2011
Aug 252011
 
The Sentinel Building in North Beach

North Beach Sentinel Building The Columbus Tower, also known as the Sentinel Building, or to most as Zoetrope sits at the corners of Columbus Avenue, Kearny Street and Jackson Street.   It is a flatiron building with a distinctive copper-green exterior.  Designed by Salfield and Kohlberg the building is clad in white tile and copper. Construction was begun before the 1906 earthquake and fire. The framing survived the disaster, and the building was completed in 1907.  The top floor initially housed the real estate offices of the notorious Abe Ruef, a local political figure who spent time in San Quentin Continue Reading

North Beach Parking Garage

 Posted by on August 24, 2011
Aug 242011
 
North Beach Parking Garage

North Beach – San Francisco It is hard to believe that a website dedicated to art is going to talk about a parking garage, but that is what makes this job so fun.  This is the North Beach Garage at 735 Vallejo Street. The work was commissioned by the SF Arts Council in collaboration with the Department of Parking and Traffic under the guise of our two percent law, requiring two percent of the construction budget of a new public building have an art enrichment allocation.     Two local artists featured the faces of the Chinatown/North Beach community people Continue Reading

Mid-Market StreeSmARTS Program

 Posted by on August 23, 2011
Aug 232011
 
Mid-Market StreeSmARTS Program

Market Street – San Francisco 998 Market at Taylor This is courtesy of the San Francisco StreetSmARTS program, funded by the Department of Public Works.  According to their website “It is by artist, Robert Harris.  For this mural, Harris creates an urban/abstract landscape that offers a renewed perspective of the city’s shapes and textures. Featuring a composite of historical and contemporary views of Market Street looking towards the Ferry Building, the mural presents a timeless scene of overlapping decades. Above the city skyline, a series of paintbrushes drip bright colors becoming a metaphor for San Francisco’s creative spirit. Bordering the Continue Reading

Union Square 1:AM

 Posted by on August 22, 2011
Aug 222011
 
Union Square 1:AM

Union Square – San Francisco Saks Fifth Avenue – Fifth Floor It is difficult to write about Union Square when discussing art.  The only form of art that you actually find is the pursuance of the all mighty dollar.  It is what many think of when they travel to our fair city, and it’s center is a magnificent open space, but public art is sparse.  For that reason, I was thrilled when the great people at 1 AM Gallery had the opportunity to create this piece on the fifth floor of the women’s Saks Fifth Avenue. 1:AM is a prolific group of Continue Reading

The Tenderloin

 Posted by on August 21, 2011
Aug 212011
 
The Tenderloin

The Tenderloin – San Francisco 149 Mason Street * *This block of Mason Street is looking so much brighter now that Glide has moved into the block.  This is on the outside of  GLIDE Economic Development Corporation’s 149 Mason Street Studios, an eight-story building which features 56 furnished studio apartments designed for people who have been chronically homeless. The colorful tiles are by Johanna Poething.  Her prolific amount of work has shown up in this website many, many times.  According to her website, Johanna Poethig is a visual, public and performance artist who has exhibited internationally and has been actively creating public Continue Reading

The Tenderloin – GEDC Family Housing

 Posted by on August 20, 2011
Aug 202011
 
The Tenderloin - GEDC Family Housing

The Tenderloin – San Francisco 125 Mason Walking this section of Mason street, I noticed a profound difference in its essence.  It was far cleaner, and brighter than I remembered from the past.  This is most definitely due to two new housing buildings that have recently gone up.  This one is 125 Mason Street and is the GEDC Family housing.  Glide Economic Developement Committee is part of the Glide Memorial Family.  The front of the building is covered with these wonderful three dimensional sayings, that lend a sense of respect to the building. The installation is by Mildred Howard. The Continue Reading

Lower Haight

 Posted by on August 19, 2011
Aug 192011
 
Lower Haight

Lower Haight – San Francisco Oak and Scott Streets * This mural was painted by San and Escif. Escif is a 28 year old artist from Valencia Spain.  San is 29 and from Madrid.  Earlier this year they traveled up and down the coast of California creating street art.  All of their inspiration culminated in an exhibit at Fifty24SF art gallery in July.  The exhibit, entitled “See you in Croatan” was described like this:  “For the past month, the two friends have journeyed all along the coast of California, gathering inspiration to create works on walls and paper and documenting Continue Reading

The Mission & The Tenderloin

 Posted by on August 18, 2011
Aug 182011
 
The Mission & The Tenderloin

Tenderloin – San Francisco The Mission District – San Francisco Taken on Hemlock just off Polk The rabbit is by internationally know ROA.  He has an amazing body of work that you can view at this website.  Born in Ghent, Belgium, his start in the art world was like most graffiti artist, under bridges and on subway walls, but as you can see he has grown substantially. ROA strives for precise anatomical detail, and his works often come across as unsentimental, feral beasts whose looming scale and piercing gaze can present a real challenge to the viewer.  “Belgian graffiti artist ROA is Continue Reading

Banksy in San Francisco

 Posted by on August 17, 2011
Aug 172011
 
Banksy in San Francisco

Banksy in San Francisco SOMA 8th Street between Folsom and Harrison Quoting from wikipedia “Banksy is a pseudonymous England based graffiti artist, political activist, film director and painter. His satirical street art and subversive epigrams combine irreverent dark humour with graffiti done in a distinctive stencilling technique. Such artistic works of political and social commentary have been featured on streets, walls, and bridges of cities throughout the world.”  ” Banksy’s first film, Exit Through the Gift Shop, billed as “the world’s first street art disaster movie,” made its debut at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.  The film was released in the Continue Reading

The Tenderloin – Friedel Klussman, The Cable Car Lady

 Posted by on August 16, 2011
Aug 162011
 
The Tenderloin - Friedel Klussman, The Cable Car Lady

Tenderloin, San Francisco Polk and Hemlock This mural, commissioned by the Mayor’s Office of Economic Workforce and Development as part of the Polk Street Alley’s Program, was painted by Dray.  It is “Friedel Klussman, the Cable Car Lady”.  I happened upon Dray while he was cleaning the tags off the mural and we got into a great history chat about the cable cars and its depiction in his mural.  Front and center you see a horse. That is because originally horses drew the cars, often with heavy loads.  On a typically damp summer day in 1869 one of these cars Continue Reading

Hayes Valley

 Posted by on August 15, 2011
Aug 152011
 
Hayes Valley

Hayes  Valley – San Francisco 580 Hayes Street On the side of Hayes & Kabob – a terrific Mediterranean restaurant – there are these bright and happy dog murals. In front of the restaurant is a parking lot that used to be an “Elder Art Park”  Fortunately, at least these pieces remain. Because it is a parking lot, I had to shoot this at an angle, but it is called “Hula-hooping Dog” by Delaine Hackney  A local mosaisist, Delaine once owned a dog grooming service, her love of dogs is obvious. This one is by Christine Heath According to Christines website: Glass Continue Reading

SOMA & The Haight – EL Mac

 Posted by on August 13, 2011
Aug 132011
 
SOMA & The Haight - EL Mac

SOMA – San Francisco The Haight – San Francisco This is on the corner of Russ and Howard Streets, South of Market. Miles “Mac” McGregor.  Goes by The Mac or El Mac.  According to his own website El Mac was “born in Los Angeles in 1980 to an engineer and an artist, Mac has been creating and studying art independently since childhood. His primary focus has been the lifelike rendering of human faces and figures. He has drawn inspiration from the surrounding Mexican & Chicano culture of Phoenix and the American Southwest, religious art, pin-up art, graffiti, and a wide range Continue Reading

Civic Center – High School of Commerce

 Posted by on August 12, 2011
Aug 122011
 
Civic Center - High School of Commerce

Civic Center San Francisco 135 Van Ness Avenue There are so many wonderful building on the Van Ness Corridor, sadly, most people are driving either in or out of San Francisco and much to busy to notice them.   This building is near Market Street, not far from City Hall, if you are in the area, take a stroll. The High School of Commerce, designed by John Reid, Jr, was built in 1926-1927.  In 1952, Commerce became the central office for the school district and has remained in that use ever since. John Reid, was born in San Francisco in Continue Reading

Hayes Valley Farm

 Posted by on August 11, 2011
Aug 112011
 
Hayes Valley Farm

Hayes Valley – San Francisco Hayes  Valley Farm Thanks to the efforts of Colonel Thomas Hayes, Hayes Valley became the first outlying area of the vast Western Addition to develop. Hayes was born in 1823 in Ireland.  Afflicted by gold fever, Hayes and his two brothers set sail for San Francisco, and acquired a 160-acre tract through the use of a preemption deed—effectively exercising squatters’ rights. His claim was confirmed by the Van Ness Ordinance in 1855. According to historian Bill Kostura, the boundaries of Hayes’ property can by described thusly: “This tract began near the intersection of Fulton and Continue Reading

Western Addition – Pastime

 Posted by on August 10, 2011
Aug 102011
 
Western Addition - Pastime

Western Addition – San Francisco Corner of Franklin, Page and Market Street It is no secret that I consider graffiti to be an art form.  Do not confuse that with tagging, (those single color scribbles) or bombing (just really, really large tags) which fall into a whole other category.  But the question is, where does graffiti leave off and art begin.  I can not, nor do I want to, answer that question.  The above is why I am on this subject.  This fabulously colored wall is by a graffiti artist known as Pastime.  So is this just graffiti, or is Continue Reading

SOMA – Freeway Prophecy

 Posted by on August 9, 2011
Aug 092011
 
SOMA - Freeway Prophecy

SOMA – San Francisco Clementina and 8th Street Freeway Prophecy  Subtitled “a surrealistic look at the future of transportation” this is another mural by Johanna Poethig sharing “lead artist” credit with Sofie Siegmann.   “Freeway Prophecy” was a major coordinated production crediting, besides Siegmann, nine other Artist Collaborators, seventeen Youth Artists and the Writers Corps poet Donna Ho.I am hard pressed to actually understand the definition of this mural, but if you would like a rather ethereal, and complicated description you can find one here on this blog. the trees have grown to cover so much of the mural, but if Continue Reading

Mid-Market – Swallows and Sycamores

 Posted by on August 8, 2011
Aug 082011
 
Mid-Market - Swallows and Sycamores

Mid Market – San Francisco Swallows and Sycamores by Amber Hasselbring 7th and Market Mid Market area has long had a reputation for being a wasteland.  Storefronts boarded up, tourists as well as locals, finding a way around this section of Market, without actually walking down it, a veritable waste land in the middle of a vibrant city. For years politicians, concerned citizens and property owners have tried to figure a way to revitalize the area.  The artists have decided to use the area as a canvas and wait for the rest of the world to catch up. The SF Continue Reading

Alamo Square

 Posted by on August 7, 2011
Aug 072011
 
Alamo Square

Alamo Square – San Francisco Alamo Square is surrounded by Victorian Houses, and the famous “painted ladies” photograph that is quintessentially San Francisco, to say nothing of the fact that it’s image is probably the number one selling postcard.  I see no point in posting that picture, you have seen it.  I even hesitate to discuss victorians on this blog, because frankly there are so many experts and so many people out there that know so much more than I that I feel completely inadequate in even approaching this subject. One of my dearest and oldest friends Beach Alexander has Continue Reading

SOMA – Tile Buildings

 Posted by on August 6, 2011
Aug 062011
 
SOMA - Tile Buildings

SOMA San Francisco 1235 Mission Street at 8th This building houses the Department of Human Resources offices. * * * From the Architect and Engineer Magazine of 1928:  Bliss and Fairweather’s building for Mangrum and Otter Inc…is being favorably commented on for the somewhat daring, but nonetheless effectual, architectural treatment in glazed color tile…Admittedly, it was somewhat of a task to work out a design that would make a dignified front in bright colors.  The moorish type was chosen as best suited for such a treatment, and the effect is indeed pleasing. Mangrum and Otter was a wholesaler of tiles, Continue Reading

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