SOMA – Page 3 – Public Art and Architecture from Around the World

Get your insane Cheesburger here

Posted by Cindy on August 20, 2012

Aug 202012

7th and Mission SOMA * This hamburger, and many others around town, are by Steel. He is a man in the pursuit of a good time. He enjoys good jokes, good friends and good cheeseburgers. In his spare time he does artwork in San Francisco and anywhere he travels. Another of his talents is designing hats. Check out his “Murder at Midnight” at Goorin Brothers. Murder at Midnight is part of the 1331 Minna Line of hats by Goorin Brothers. The 1333 Minna Line is a limited edition artist line founded in San Francisco. The collection began with a few Continue Reading

Slow Down, Children at Play on Tehama Streeet

Posted by Cindy on August 19, 2012

Aug 192012

Slow Down, Children at Play on Tehama Streeet

449 Tehama SOMA * * * * This mural is on the Tehama Street side of the Cingular Wireless building at 951 Howard Street. It was painted as a neighborhood beautification and community enhancement project. Cingular Wireless sponsored the mural entitled “Slow Down: Children at Play,” and features the faces of neighborhood children and pets intertwined with forms that reference the shadows from the trees and architecture of the street. Supervised by Sharon Anderson, it was painted with the help of lots of people from the neighborhood. According to the Fog City Journal July 30 2006 Article: “Our network team is Continue Reading

Around San Francisco with Victor Reyes

Posted by Cindy on August 12, 2012

Aug 122012

Around Town With Victor Reyes * 23rd and Mission * * This was done by Victor Reyes in 2010. Reyes has several murals around San Francisco. Reyes has been painting since the early 90s, and has shown extensively around the world in cities and countries such as Bosnia, Germany, Switzerland, Taipei, Japan, and Miami. Reyes is inspired by his peers, including a community of new California artists “The Seventh Letter,” who play an integral role in the development and motivation for his body of work. Reyes, who has no formal art training, moved to San Francisco in 1998 and took Continue Reading

Around Town with muralist Amanda Lynn

Posted by Cindy on August 11, 2012

Aug 112012

Amanda Lynn around Town * Sunday Flamenco by Amanda Lynn – 2012 18th and Mission Amanda Lynn works by day restoring and painting motorcycles and metal sculptures. When she is not working, she paints figures on doorways and walls around San Francisco and throughout the country, usually accompanying graffiti mural productions. As well as concentrating on her fine art career of painting seductive female imagery on large scale canvases. She studied at the Academy of Art in San Francisco and received a Bachelor’s of Fine Art with an Illustration major. You can see more of her work here on her website Continue Reading

Make Moves

Posted by Cindy on August 7, 2012

Aug 072012

Make Moves SOMA 170 South VanNess * * This is a 1:AM gallery mural The mastermind behind the Make Moves mural is 1:AM Art Director/Co-Owner, Roman Cesario. The 1AM mural is a collaboration between their in-house artists. They are Leon Loucheur , Robert Gonzales , Gavin Fuller , Roman Cesario , and Jessico Serrano. This mural represents the ability to overcome, hustle , grind, work together , and rebuild. Anyone can be or do anything , there are no limits. Roman and the team at 1AM have a vision to spread positive messages through vibrant murals that will motivate Continue Reading

Townsend CalTrain Station Mural

Posted by Cindy on August 1, 2012

Aug 012012

SOMA Caltrain Station at Townsend This mural is 60 feet long and 40 feet wide. The mural sits on the back of the Crescent Cove Apartments that back up to the Caltrain tracks. (Caltrain is the commuter train line from San Jose to San Francisco). To appreciate it completely please watch the video first. Helllllooooo San Francisco from Brian Barneclo on Vimeo. The mural is by Brian Barneclo. Brian was born in Indianapolis, in 1972. He studied painting and art history at Indiana University. He moved to San Francisco in 1996 and found work as a sign painter, eventually his Continue Reading

Don Clever and the Peterson Caterpillar Company

Posted by Cindy on July 27, 2012

Jul 272012

Don Clever and the Peterson Caterpillar Company

SOMA 943 Harrison Street * * This mural, unofficially titled Workers and Tractors, was done for the Peterson Caterpillar Company in 1948 (I have also found the year 1936 attached to this mural) by Don Clever. Here is Mr. Clever’s obituary. Chronicle 6/21/01: Don Clever, by Kelly St. John, Chronicle Staff Writer “Don Clever, a San Francisco-based designer and muralist, was born in 1916 in Champion, Alberta, Canada, Mr. Clever moved to San Francisco at age 20. Although he had no formal training beyond an eighth-grade education, he quickly found success as a muralist. His work included a mural of Continue Reading

Gene Friend Rec Center in SOMA – Tile Art

Posted by Cindy on July 26, 2012

Jul 262012

Gene Friend Rec Center in SOMA - Tile Art

SOMA Gene Friend Rec Center 270 6th Street * A World View by Martha Heavenston Nojima Martha Heavenston Nojima is known for her tile work, and especially her work with children in the arts. This particular group of tile creatures was done in 1989 and was commissioned and is owned by the San Francisco Art Commission. * * * * * The Gene Friend Rec Center caters primarily to families of Filipino descent in the neighborhood but is open to all. Youth programs include gardening, arts and crafts, baseball, basketball, poetry. The center also hosts a School Year Latch Key and a Continue Reading

Jon Krawcyzk in SOMA

Posted by Cindy on July 8, 2012

Jul 082012

SOMA 303 2nd Street * * Jon Krawczyk’s new sculpture sits in the public space of 303 2nd Street . It is a central part of a recent redesign by Gensler and landscape architects Smith + Smith for owner Kilroy Realty. Krawczyk’s steel and bronze sculptures divulge organic gestures that are the antithesis of the material. According to a correspondent for Art in America, his sensual and timeless works “elicit similarly tactile responses” from his viewers. A graduate from Connecticut College, Krawczyk has studied fine art throughout Europe. Krawczyk’s sculptures have been exhibited in galleries and public arenas across the Continue Reading

SOMA – Mural at 870 Harrison

Posted by Cindy on June 25, 2012

Jun 252012

SOMA 870 Harrison Street * * * * Zio Ziegler is a Mill Valley, California native and a graduate of both Brown University and Rhode Island School of Design. He has a clothing line Arte Sempre.

SOMA – Few and Far

Posted by Cindy on June 20, 2012

Jun 202012

SOMA/The Mission 69 Duboce Between Valencia and Mission Few and Far – Part III * The last of this three part post from Few and Far is by Amanda Lynn. Amandalynn, whos pieces are all over town, takes her expertise in art and painting into an array of applications. She studied at the Academy of Art in San Francisco and received a Bachelor’s of Fine Art with an Illustration major.

SOMA – Few and Far

Posted by Cindy on June 19, 2012

Jun 192012

SOMA/The Mission 69 Duboce Between Valencia and Mission Continuing with the Few N Far Crews work at 69 Duboce. Meagan Spendlove – Meagan has murals all over town. Agana is from Oakland. From Few and Far’s Website: Agana is not only a bad ass DJ but she is an art teacher, muralist, jewelry maker, loving/giving friend, always down to paint no matter what!! Agana also films and edits her own videos.. Oooh yes, don’t let me forget to mention… she always has her nails on point every time! Tatiana Suarez is from Miami and New York. According to Tati’s website: Tatiana Continue Reading

SOMA – Few and Far

Posted by Cindy on June 18, 2012

Jun 182012

SOMA/The Mission 69 Duboce Between Valencia and Mission This is an empty lot that was taken over (with permission) by Few and Far. Few and Far is a woman’s street art group and this is what they say about themselves on their blog: Few and Far is a movement that brings together talented women who are involved in graffiti, Skateboarding and street art from all over the world. Few and Far connects women by creating social and artistic exchange, by showcasing art on the streets, on walls and in other high profile venues. Few and Far fosters and celebrates the Continue Reading

SOMA – Federal Building

Posted by Cindy on March 27, 2012

Mar 272012

SOMA Federal Building 90 7th Street * This post is about the art that is part of the new Federal Building in San Francisco, however, it is difficult to discuss art without introducing you to the building itself. I abhor the building, and it is not because I have anything agains modern architecture, I just think this is classic cliche architecture, out of fashion the day it was built. However, here is Wikipedia’s discussion so we keep my opinion to a minimum. The San Francisco Federal Building is a building designed by the architectural firm Morphosis. Thom Mayne of Morphosis Continue Reading

SOMA – Urban Grit

Posted by Cindy on February 8, 2012

Feb 082012

SOMA Financial District 215 Fremont Street * * * Urban Grit by Gordon Huether Glass Panels – Art made possible by the 1% for Public Arts Program From Gary Brady-Herndon’s August 28, 2002 article in SF Gate: Perched high above the banks of the Napa River, a stone’s throw from the Oxbow area of the city of Napa and the newly christened Copia, the American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts, stands the home of one of the Napa Valley’s more colorful — and successful — artists, Gordon Huether. While Huether’s home may overlook what some might call Continue Reading

SOMA – Poetry Sculpture Garden

Posted by Cindy on February 7, 2012

Feb 072012

SOMA Financial District 199 Fremont Street Poetry Sculpture Garden The plaque on the side of the wall explains the area like this: 199 Fremont poetry/sculpture garden is a unique collaborative piece that combines the talents of Robert Hass, a world famous poet, and Paul Kos, a world-class sculptor. The garden is composed of three major elements: A large installation of the plaza’s Sierra granite as a sculptural form. Sculptor Kos’s setting of Poet Hass’ words in the wall of the plaza. In the place of a fountain, a small, witty set of faucets, sited quietly in the back of the Continue Reading

SOMA – Linking Hand Veil

Posted by Cindy on February 5, 2012

Feb 052012

SOMA Teen Center 10th Street between Market and Mission This mural is called Linking Hand Veil – it is acrylic and by Ball-Nogues Studio. It is public art work created by the 1% for Public Art Program According to their website Benjamin Ball grew up in Colorado and Iowa where his mother’s involvement in theatre proved influential. While studying for his degree at the Southern California Institute of Architecture, Ball logged stints at Gehry Partners and Shirdel Zago Kipnis. Upon graduation, he sought work as a set and production designer for films (including the Matrix series) as well as music videos Continue Reading

SOMA – Labyrinth-Habitat

Posted by Cindy on January 30, 2012

Jan 302012

SOMA 8th and Natoma Streets Labyrinth – Habitat 1999 Johanna Poethig with Episcopal Community Services Ceramic and paint Commissioned by the San Francisco Art Commission – Arts in Community Program. Johanna Poethig has been in this site many, many times. This mural is on the side of one of the Training Centers for Episcopal Community Services – The Cannon Kip Community House. According to Johanna’s website this is what the mural is about: In every culture and on every continent the labyrinth is one of the oldest and most universal symbols. Some of these existing labyrinths, such as the ones Continue Reading

SOMA – Landmark

Posted by Cindy on January 22, 2012

Jan 222012

SOMA One Hawthorne “Landmark” consists of a large grid of colorful panels 145 ft. high and 12 ft. wide. The panels are coated with porcelain enamel using a photographic imaging process, which accurately reproduced and enlarged a detailed series of 30” x 23” color drawings created by Robert Hudson. One Hawthorne tapped Valerie Wade, gallery director at Crown Point Press, its across-the-street neighbor, to assist in concept development for the public art. The entire process took about one year, with KVO Industries, based in Santa Rosa, California, fabricating each porcelain enamel panel and overseeing the installation. As lovely as it Continue Reading

Foundry Square – Not Out of The Woods Yet

Posted by Cindy on January 20, 2012

Jan 202012

Foundry Square - Not Out of The Woods Yet

Howard at First Street Foundry Square SOMA Not Out of the Woods Yet by Richard Deacon 2003 In 2003 Kenneth Baker of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote: “Deacon’s “Not Out Of The Woods Yet” (2003) nests muscularly in a tight spot behind columns at the entrance to 500 Howard St., on the intersection’s northwest corner. The Bay Area has so far seen Deacon’s work in depth only once, in the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art’s 1987 show “A Quiet Revolution: British Sculpture Since 1965.” Much of his sculpture turns on matters such as when an enclosure must count as Continue Reading

SOMA – Foundry Square

Posted by Cindy on January 19, 2012

Jan 192012

Howard at First Street Foundry Square SOMA Untitled by Joel Shapiro 1996-1999 In 2003 Kenneth Baker of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote: “Shapiro’s renown rests on his having turned the vocabulary of minimal sculpture back toward figuration about 30 years ago. He took square wood beams, favorite forms of his older contemporary Carl Andre, and made structures of them that could be read as stick figures. Shapiro then abbreviated and exaggerated his work’s figural qualities so that they come and go depending on the viewer’s position and on his determination to see them. Built-in aspects of “bad fit”–apparent right angles Continue Reading

SOMA – Time Signature

Posted by Cindy on January 18, 2012

Jan 182012

Howard at First Street Foundry Square SOMA Time Signature Richard Deutsch *Richard Deutsch has several sculptures around San Francisco. This piece has it’s own video on Richard’s website, and I highly recommend that you go and view it. The film is a work of art unto itself, and I could not do justice to the process that you are shown, but I will try to summarize the intent of the piece. He mentions that they wanted to use a light colored metal for the reflective properties and to interact with the glass. The area that the sculpture is in is Continue Reading

Restaurant Row – Maori Column

Posted by Cindy on January 15, 2012

Jan 152012

50 Third Street Ducca Restaurant Courtyard Westin Hotel Museum Row This piece is titled Maori Column and is by Alan Shepp. It was done in 1985. Shepp, along with his artist wife, lives in Napa California. He has a BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art, and an MFA from the University of Washington. He is a multimedia artist who creates large scale sculpture and public art. There is not a lot of information out there, either about this artist or this piece, but his website has some really gorgeous work on it.

Isamu Noguchi on Museum Row

Posted by Cindy on January 14, 2012

Jan 142012

50 Third Street Ducca Restaurant Walkway Museum Row Fat Dancer Rain Mountain Figure Emerging These three figures are by Isamu Noguchi. Noguchi ranks up there as one of my all time favorite sculptors, but I must admit, this is not my favorite medium for him. (November 17, 1904 – December 30, 1988) Isamu Noguchi was a prominent Japanese American artist and landscape architect whose artistic career spanned six decades, from the 1920s onward. Known for his sculpture and public works, Noguchi also designed stage sets for various Martha Graham productions, and several mass-produced lamps and furniture pieces, some of which Continue Reading

Museum Row – Stream of Vessels

Posted by Cindy on January 13, 2012

Jan 132012

50 Third Street Ducca Restaurant Walkway Museum Row These are in the walkway between Ducca Restaurant and the Contemporary Jewish Museum. They are titled Stream of Vessels, done in 1997 by David Nash of charred oak. David Nash is a British sculptor based in Blaenau Ffestiniog. He is known for works in wood and shaping living trees. His large wood sculptures are sometimes carved or partially burned to produce blackening. His main tools for these sculptures are a chainsaw and axe to carve the wood and a blowtorch to char the wood. He attended Brighton College from 1959 to 1963, then Continue Reading

Museum Row – Les Funambules

Posted by Cindy on January 12, 2012

Jan 122012

50 Third Street Ducca Restaurant walkway Museum Row Attached to the Westin Hotel is Ducca Restaurant. They have an open walkway between 3rd street and the Jewish Museum. In that walkway is seating and dining. Throughout that area is art. This piece is “Les Funambules” by Charles Ginnever, done in Bronze in 1991. Ginnever is an American sculptor. He was born in San Mateo, California, in 1931. In 1957, he received his BA from the San Francisco Art Institute and received his MFA from Cornell University in 1959. He started working with canvas and steel scraps painted with bright patterns. The Continue Reading

Yerba Buena Gardens – Urge

Posted by Cindy on January 10, 2012

Jan 102012

Yerba Buena Gardens Childrens Museum side of Howard Street Urge by Chico Macmurtrie This has always been one of my favorite sculptures in San Francisco. There is something so lifelike and yet so robotic about the figure. The sculptor works in a team that he formed in 1992, called Amorphic Robot Works. They are a group of artists, engineers and technicians. Some of their work is based on the concept of moving robotic figures, and yet other pieces are haunting and so diverse to belay any attempt to categorize it. This piece also gives credit to others – Engineer: Dave Continue Reading

Yerba Buena Gardens – Deep Gradient/Suspect Terrain

Posted by Cindy on January 9, 2012

Jan 092012

Yerba Buena Gardens - Deep Gradient/Suspect Terrain

Yerba Buena Center San Francisco Deep Gradient/Suspect Terrain (Seasons of the Sea ‘Adrift) John Roloff with NGA Industries and Wes-Co Industries 1993 * The accompanying plaque says: This glass ship is an art work that refers to the natural and geological history of California. Sediment gathered from the ocean floor four miles off the coast of San Francisco was placed inside in 1993. This sediment contains diverse mineral and organic matter extracted from the landscape by the rivers that flow to the sea through the Golden Gate. The greenhouse environment of the ship interacts subtly with these materials producing ongoing Continue Reading

SOMA – 1AM

Posted by Cindy on January 6, 2012

Jan 062012

1 AM Gallery SOMA Howard and Sixth Street 1 AM Gallery always has murals done on their wall to celebrate their newest art installation inside. The installation this month is “When We Were Kids”. The background to this is lettering, but I thought the cartoon characters were worth a shout out. * Here is the overall mural taken from across the street. 1 AM Gallery has been in this website many times before. Check out their work around town. Please also note – that 1:AM uses this wall as a teaching experience so the murals change all the time.

Fish Mural on Langton

Posted by Cindy on January 2, 2012

Jan 022012

SOMA Langton Street Between Folsom and Howard This lovely mural was done to hopefully stop the graffiti that had been occurring on the door. The artist is Deborah Yoon and according website she is a self taught multimedia artist who considers both San Francisco and New York home. She works primarily with pen, sumi-e, paint, and has experimented with steel. Deborah received a bachelors of Fine Art and Art History at New York University. As you can see by the comments the owner of the house saw this post. I asked him for some further information and here is what he Continue Reading

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