Public Art and Architecture from Around the World

The Embarcadero – Rincon Annex Murals

Posted by Cindy on November 21, 2011

Nov 212011

The Embaradero Rincon Annex 98 Howard Street Panel #10 Panel #10. “Raising the Bear Flag The Bear Flag revolt established the Republic of California, one month before the United States won the territory in the Mexican War. John Charles Fremont was a prime force in instigating the revolt and William B. Ide became president of the short- lived republic. The original Bear Flag, designed by William C. Todd, flew over Sonoma for a brief time. The piece of white cloth seen lying on the ground was originally the Mexican flag. Because some people thought this was disrespectful Refregier painted it Continue Reading

Rincon Annex Murals

Posted by Cindy on November 20, 2011

Nov 202011

The Embarcadero Rincon Annex 98 Howard Street Panel #3 The murals in the Rincon Annex Post Office, have lived a long and very controversial life. In 1941 the WPA held a competition for the murals, it was won by Anton Refregier. He began work immediately and kept at it until they were finished in 1948, with a two year break during the war. He was paid $26,000 for the job, the largest job ever given by the WPA in the painting/sculpture arena. The twenty-seven murals (29 panels) are actually casein-tempra (a process of painting in which pigments are mixed with Continue Reading

Rincon Center Rain Column

Posted by Cindy on November 19, 2011

Nov 192011

The Embarcadero Rincon Annex Post Office 98 Howard Street The word “rincon” means “inside corner” in Spanish. In 1939, architect Gilbert S. Underwood, most famously known for his design of the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite, designed this Art Deco-Moderne structure for the United States Post Office. In the 1980s the building was put up for development by the USPS. A 23-story mixed-use building was added on the south side of the block that contains a new post office, offices, and 320 apartments. During excavation, a number of artifacts from the long forgotten saloons, boarding houses and laundries, of the Continue Reading

The Embarcadero – History of our Street Names

Posted by Cindy on November 15, 2011

Nov 152011

The Embarcadero - History of our Street Names

The Embarcadero Looking Down and Learning History Archetypical Gold Rush San Franciscan, Sam Brannan was first in many achievements. He arrived in Yerba Buena by sea in 1846, leading two hundred Mormon pioneers, and founding the city’s first newspaper. He rode through the streets of San Francisco in 1848, announcing the discovery of gold for all to hear. In 1851, he inspired the vigilantes to take the law into their own hands and restore order to a chaotic city. The first California millionaire, he spent his fortune in building Calistoga as a health resort and lost it all. He died Continue Reading

Embarcadero – History of Street Names

Posted by Cindy on November 13, 2011

Nov 132011

The Embarcadero Continuing on our journey of “Looking Down” Quartermaster’s clerk of the Stevenson Regiment of First New York Volunteers, Edward H. Harrison came from an obscure post to occupy a respectable role in the nascent civic affairs of San Francisco, becoming Port Collector in 1848 before returning to the East in 1850. Harrison typified the ordinary men of the Stevenson Regiment, recruited from the Irish mechanics of New York, who arrived in California too late in 1847 to effect the course of the War with Mexico, but stayed to rise to prominence in the state. “And when the Future Continue Reading

Embarcadero – History of Street Names

Posted by Cindy on November 12, 2011

Nov 122011

The Embarcadero Continuing to look down. Vallejo Street These four are so badly worn, but this is what General Vallejo looked like It reads: Soldier, land-owner and diplomat, General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo started life as the son of a Spanish soldier, and rose from cadet to Commandante of Monterey. From there he assumed command of the Presidio of Yerba Buena and later was made General of all Northern Forces in California. Founder of Sonoma, Vallejo, and Benicia. Vallejo became the most influential Californian in the decade leading to the American conquest. Early on General Vallejo clearly foresaw the fate of Continue Reading

Embarcadero – History of Street Names

Posted by Cindy on November 11, 2011

Nov 112011

The Embarcadero When this is the view from the Embarcadero it is hard to look down at your feet. If you do however, you will find some fascinating little historical tidbits. I searched everywhere to see what organization is responsible for the following and I found nothing. But welcome to a bit of San Francisco history.The Embarcadero runs along the waterfront. The streets that we will be looking at run down to the Embarcadero. These signs are all on the city side of the Embarcadero where the streets end. It reads: In February of 1853 the United States Topographical Engineers Continue Reading

North Beach – Art at the corner of Broadway, Grant and Columbus

Posted by Cindy on November 9, 2011

Nov 092011

North Beach - Art at the corner of Broadway, Grant and Columbus

North Beach Bill Weber is the muralist on this project, and according to his website he is an established Bay Area muralist and painter and has been creating murals nationwide since 1974. His style ranges from surreal to Trompe l’Oeil, whimsical to realistic and can be adapted to any project requirements. Language of the Birds by Brian Goggins Brian has written so eloquently about his project that I am just going to quote directly from his blog. Historically “The Language of the Birds” was considered a divine language birds used to communicate with the initiated. Here, a flock of books Continue Reading

Pacific Coast Stock Exchange

Posted by Cindy on November 8, 2011

Nov 082011

Financial District Pacific Coast Stock Exchange The Pacific Stock Exchange began life as a classical U.S. Treasury building, then in the 1930’s, Timothy Pflueger was hired to turn it into the Stock Exchange. He was growing weary of classicism but was instructed that the granite stairs and the ten Tuscan columns had to remain. The building was essentially torn town, leaving the front we see today. Then Pflueger met Ralph Stackpole, and a wonderful working relationship was formed. Stackpole created the medallions on the entablature, as well as the two gorgeous art deco statues that grace the sides of the Continue Reading

North Beach- Marini Plaza

Posted by Cindy on November 7, 2011

Nov 072011

North Beach Marini Plaza These are the bears of Marini Plaza at Powell Street. It once was a lone corner of Washington Park. Frank Marini (1862-1952) is mentioned often in Alessandro Baccari’s book, “Saints Peter and Paul: ‘The Italian Cathedral’ of the West, 1884-1984.” Marini was a major civic benefactor, participating in the work of the Salesian groups at the Church of Saints Peter and Paul. He was a sponsor of the boys’ club, to help troubled immigrant boys who had little English speaking ability, education or guidance. He was a fundraiser to pay off the debt for building Continue Reading

Mission Bay – Koret Quad

Posted by Cindy on November 6, 2011

Nov 062011

Mission Bay Mission Bay Koret Quad The Koret Quad is a large green space in the heart of Mission Bay. I have discussed my abhorrence with this part of town before. The quad is only accessible by pedestrians and is so well hidden as to be missed by most people. This is somewhat intentional I assume as Koret Quad it not legally open to the public other than the sidewalks. While you won’t be hounded, they have made it well known so that they can throw you out if you misbehave. One of my favorite outdoor art installations is set Continue Reading

Mission Bay – HEAL

Posted by Cindy on November 5, 2011

Nov 052011

Mission Bay UCSF Campus Heal by Miroslaw Balka Miroslaw Balka was born in Ottwock, Poland, near Warsaw, and continues to live and work there. He turned his family home into a studio. Austere, with a sense of absence and empty space, his work is defined by the people that interact with it. HEAL is a stainless steel structure standing at an angle, on a large concrete square public space. Looking up the word is in reverse and hard to figure out, but looking down, the shadow of the word is projected on the pavement below, moving and changing throughout the Continue Reading

Candlestick Park – Endangered Garden

Posted by Cindy on November 4, 2011

Nov 042011

Candlestick Park The Endangered Garden by Patricia Johanson “Endangered Garden”, a linear park along San Francisco Bay was commissioned in 1987 by the San Francisco Arts Commission. As co-designer of the thirty million dollar “Sunnydale Facilities”, a pump station and holding tank for water and sewage, Patricia Johanson’s intent was to present this functional structure as a work of art and a productive landscape. Other goals included increasing food and habitat for wildlife, and providing maximum public access to San Francisco Bay. Tidal sculpture, butterfly meadow, habitat restoration, seating, and overlook are all incorporated into the image of the endangered Continue Reading

Sunset District – Propeller on the Walk Way

Posted by Cindy on November 3, 2011

Nov 032011

Sunset District - Propeller on the Walk Way

The Sunset District The Great Highway at Riviera Standing here, looking out towards the Pacific you will find art at your feet. You will also guess, at this point that it is covered in a lot of sand. Propeller by Richard Deutsch This granite and marble terrazzo paving piece has bronze nautical elements inlaid into the surface. Richard Deutsch has been featured on this site before. He is an accomplished artist, with work all over the world, and pieces in great museums across the country. This piece was commissioned by the SFAC for $9000 in 1988

Birds at the J.P. Murphy Playground

Posted by Cindy on November 2, 2011

Nov 022011

Inner Sunset J. P. Murphy Playground 1960 9th Avenue Woman with Birds by Michael J. Carey This divine park, that includes several tennis courts and a wonderful rec room is surrounded by these giant hedges. The hedges make a perfect backdrop for this sculpture. Michael Carey said: ““My intent with the sculpture for the J. P. Murphy playground is to celebrate the Center’s community purpose and natural setting by evoking a beneficent and free spirit in the work,” Woman with Birds was funded by the J.P. Murphy Clubhouse Renovation construction budget, in fulfillment of San Francisco’s Art Enrichment Ordinance, and Continue Reading

Western Addition – Sunnyside Conservatory

Posted by Cindy on October 31, 2011

Oct 312011

Western Addition - Sunnyside Conservatory

Sunnyside Conservatory 236 Monterey Boulevard The Sunnyside Menagerie is a collaboration between Scott Constable and Ene Oseteraas-Constable. They have a company called Wowhaus. They described the creatures: “The concept behind our menagerie is to complement the Victorian sense of wonder and discovery by suggesting plausible creatures that might inhabit the gardens surrounding the building. The result is a series of four creatures hybridized from actual fauna associated with the native origins of the plantings.” They sit outside this wonderful Victorian Structure. Scott Constable is a woodworker. His work, ranging from furniture to architecture and environmental sculpture, has been exhibited internationally. Continue Reading

Marina Green – Phillip Burton

Posted by Cindy on October 30, 2011

Oct 302011

Marina Green Phillip Burton Bronze Wendy Ross Phillip Burton (June 1, 1926 – April 10, 1983) was a United States Representative from California. He was instrumental in creating the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Burton was one of the first members of Congress to acknowledge the need for AIDS research and introduce an AIDS bill. Not far from this sculpture is the “Sky Mirror” The color of the sky varies depending on the density of the atmosphere. Sunlight from the horizon travels through about 38 times more air than light streaming down from the zenith. Sky Mirror allows visitors to Continue Reading

Mission Bay – Ballast

Posted by Cindy on October 29, 2011

Oct 292011

Mission Bay Ballast by Richard Serra Corten Steel One of my absolute favorite mediums for massive outdoor sculpture is Corten Steel. Weathering steel, best-known under the trademark COR-TEN steel and sometimes written without the hyphen as “Corten steel”, is a group of steel alloys which were developed to eliminate the need for painting, and form a stable rust-like appearance if exposed to the weather for several years. “Weathering” means that due to their chemical compositions, these steels exhibit increased resistance to atmospheric corrosion compared to other steels. This is because the steel forms a protective layer on its surface under Continue Reading

Mission Bay – Brought To Light

Posted by Cindy on October 28, 2011

Oct 282011

Mission Bay Brought to Light by Lawrence Weiner Lawrence Weiner grew up in the Bronx and attended Stuyvesant High School, working as a longshoreman in the early mornings before classes. As a young man he hitchhiked to San Francisco and lived among the Beat poets. His earliest work was done in Mill Valley, in 1960. BROUGHT TO LIGHT, grew out of a visit he made in 2009, when Weiner spent time walking the campus and speaking with researchers and others in the community. The work was proposed as “an essential gesture, to be stated here in a colored, light filled Continue Reading

Mission Bay -I’m Alive

Posted by Cindy on October 27, 2011

Oct 272011

Mission Bay 409-499 Illinois I’m Alive by Tony Cragg – 2004 Stainless Steel Tony Cragg was born in liverpool in 1949. He attended Gloucestershire College of Art and Design, Cheltenham College, and the Royal College of Art, London (1973-77). Cragg has lived and worked in Wuppertal, Germany, since 1977. I’m Alive exudes movement and vitality and is the perfect expression of its title. It is simple, serpentine and, despite its highly wrought form and reflective surface, it is very natural. I also love it’s placement, the lawn, just emphasizes all that is right with this piece.

Mission Bay – Doppel Fountain

Posted by Cindy on October 26, 2011

Oct 262011

Mission Bay Doppel Fountain by Shawn Smith In his own words: In 2006, I was commissioned to create a monumental sculpture by SKS Investments/ X-4 Dolphin LLC in San Francisco’s Mission Bay district. I designed a pixilated stainless steel fountain that appears to be frozen in mid-air. The pixilated fountain is made of varying lengths of 2″ square tubing that are lined up vertically and overlapped to create pixels. The tubing remains open at the top and bottom so that from above or below the sculpture, viewers are able to see through the tubing, giving the fountain a feeling of transparency Continue Reading

Mission Bay – Hulls

Posted by Cindy on October 25, 2011

Oct 252011

Mission Bay 500 A. Terry Francois Blvd at Pierpoint Lane * Hulls by Richard Deutsch Hulls commemorates Mission Bay’s waterfront, which is steeped in maritime history. During the 16th century Ohlone Indians, sustained by hunting and fishing, built boats from reeds of the bay’s shallow waters. The 1800’s saw a vibrant industry of wooden schooners and ferryboat builders, which later lead to the fabrication of large metal World War 1 and II submarines and battleships. Born in Los Angles, Richards work is extensive with pieces all over the world, as can be seen on his website

SOMA, San Francisco – October 24, 2011

Posted by Cindy on October 24, 2011

Oct 242011

Fourth and Bryant SOMA These doors have been tagged for years, and finally someone decided murals might keep that from happening. Kemit Aminophis is responsible for these two doors. There are four doors to the auto body shop, so I have to assume that there is more to come. I promise to bring them to you when they are finished. As always, it is hard to shoot building sides when cars block your view of the overall image, but here are some shots for your review. Notice the really fine brush work. This of course is definitely a take on Continue Reading

In Dollar We Trust on Potrero Hill

Posted by Cindy on October 23, 2011

Oct 232011

Potrero Hill / Mission District Alabama between 17th and Mariposa This long mural is titled “In Dollar We Trust” and is by two artists from Apotik Komik (Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia artist collective), Samuel Indratama and Arie Dyanto. I read a fascinating article by Jim Sullivan of Mira Costa College, about how art expresses the lost dreams of California. In it Mr. Sullivan explains that this piece “condemns the California Dream of a money dependent government and emphasizes the importance of severing individuals’ obedience to greedy authorities. At first glance, spontaneous groups of blood-shot eyes are featured throughout the mural Continue Reading

Caledonia – Ape Do Good

Posted by Cindy on October 22, 2011

Oct 222011

Mission District Caledonia Street On the Wall of Ape Do Good Print Shop I apologize for bringing this to you in pieces, but the alley is very, very narrow and the mural is very long. It was pretty impossible to do it in any other manner. This mural has shown up in the blogsphere many times, but I have yet to find anyone that knows who painted it. It has such a wonderful Dr. Seuss quality to it. Look very closely at the first photo and you will see a real hanger in there. This reads: “breaking cracking leaves. 100 sneezes Continue Reading

Homes as Canvas

Posted by Cindy on October 21, 2011

Oct 212011

Mission District Castro District 3014 22nd Street So many times I walk by homes that look like canvases. I fantasize that some wonderful artist lives in this abode. I have no way of knowing but here are a few that I have enjoyed. This is the garage door of a home at the corner of Saturn and Lower Terrace. Notice the stenciled 2nd floor and the “mosaic” gutter. The neighbors did the same.

Caledonia Street

Posted by Cindy on October 20, 2011

Oct 202011

Mission District Caledonia Street Between 15th and 16th and Mission and Valencia Streets Caledonia is another one of those alley’s in the Mission District that only serves as an entry into garages and backs of buildings. So needless to say it is a haven from graffiti artists. These are some of the better ones I found. This beauty is by Mike Kershnar a talented artist that established a non profit called Elemental Awareness which aims to utilize art and skateboarding to enrich the lives of children. These 2 are actually stencils. This has such a disjointed look, I wondered if Continue Reading

Ghost Busters in SOMA

Posted by Cindy on October 19, 2011

Oct 192011

SOMA 8th and Bryant This fun mural is essentially the Simpson’s gang in Ghostbusters clothing. While it is not signed, according Live Soma the artist did have permission, even if he wouldn’t give his name. This says Diet, I am sure a message to the Stay Puft monster. The artist did tell Jeremy that he was influenced by Dean Fraser of Springfield Punx, whose work is really very fun and very, very good.

Dan Plasma in the Mission

Posted by Cindy on October 18, 2011

Oct 182011

Mission District 15th and Valencia This is the side wall of restaurant Pica Pica. Dan Plasma had originally painted a tiger mural on this wall, then over the course of a few days other aerosol muralists covered it over with their work. This made Mr. Plasma rather angry, so when he took the wall back he commemorated the little war with this piece.

Parrots of Telegraph Hill

Posted by Cindy on October 17, 2011

Oct 172011

Telegraph Hill While this website is about art and architecture in San Francisco, every once in a while I spot a celebrity, and I thought I would bring them to you. This flock of feral parrots, primarily Red-masked Parakeets (Aratinga erythrogenys,) descended from escaped or released pets. The flock was popularized by a book and subsequent documentary, both titled The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill. The birds, known as Cherry-headed Conures, are native to Peru and Ecuador; they have established a breeding colony, with the support of some residents, and through the help of volunteers with Mickaboo Companion Bird Rescue. Continue Reading

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