Tutubi Plaza – Dragonflies

 Posted by on June 2, 2011
Jun 022011
 
Tutubi Plaza - Dragonflies

Tutubi Plaza – SOMA – San Francisco This little area has become a hub for the Filipino Community in the San Francisco area. Tutubi means dragonfly in Tagalog.  This mural is by Johanna Poethig..  Johanna was born in the Philippines, so I am sure this was especially important to her.  She received her BFA from UC Santa Cruz and her MFA from Mills, she presently is an arts educator at Cal State U in Monterey.  She has an amazing array of public work that you can see at her website.  Many of them are in San Francisco. Behind this wall is a children’s Continue Reading

SOMA – Tutubi Plaza

 Posted by on June 1, 2011
Jun 012011
 
SOMA - Tutubi Plaza

Tutubi Plaza Russ street, between Natoma and Minna in SOMA, San Francisco. This is a San Francisco Redevelopment project, first proposed in 2008 it was finally finished in February of 2011.   This pavement installation is by Jovi Schnell.  Jovi was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas and lives in San Francisco, she studied at the San Francisco Art Institute as well as some serious time at several art schools in Holland.   This piece is called “Evolves Luminous Flora”.  In reading about this piece here there are so many meanings and symbolism according to the author, that I got lost Continue Reading

Golden Gate Bridge

 Posted by on May 31, 2011
May 312011
 
Golden Gate Bridge

Golden Gate Bridge Plaza San Francisco Side This is a piece of the cable that holds up the Golden Gate Bridge.  I have loved this piece since I first laid eyes on it.  The sign tells you that the length of one cable is 7640 feet, the diameter is 36 3/8 inches, there are 27, 572 wires in each cable (which is what you are looking at in the end there) they used 80,000 MILES of wire, and the weight of the cable is 24, 700 tons.  I think the fact that you are looking at the ends of 27,572 Continue Reading

Memorial Day

 Posted by on May 30, 2011
May 302011
 
Memorial Day

Presidio Cemetery – San Francisco

Golden Gate Bridge – Fort Point

 Posted by on May 29, 2011
May 292011
 
Golden Gate Bridge - Fort Point

Fort Point Golden Gate Bridge The building at the bottom of this picture is Fort Point.  Many people look down upon this structure when they walk across the Golden Gate Bridge, but they never go to visit, which is a shame.    Fort Point was completed just before the American civil war.  Its purpose was to protect San Francisco harbor from Confederate and foreign attack during and after the U.S. Civil War. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began work on Fort Point in 1853. Plans specified that the lowest tier of artillery be as close as possible to water Continue Reading

Golden Gate Bridge – Hopper’s Hands

 Posted by on May 28, 2011
May 282011
 
Golden Gate Bridge - Hopper's Hands

 Fort Point Golden Gate Bridge These are Hopper’s Hands.  This plaque is at Fort Point, under the Golden Gate Bridge on the San Francisco side.  The area is a turn around spot for people running the Presidio area, and slapping the hands is a tradition.  Hopper’s hands has a great story, that I am sure most runners aren’t even aware of. Ken Hopper is an Iron Worker on the Golden Gate Bridge.  Iron workers often agree to train in suicide prevention and rescue on the bridge.  Ken is one of those guys.  He is one of the many unsung heroes Continue Reading

Oddities in San Francisco

 Posted by on May 27, 2011
May 272011
 
Oddities in San Francisco

915 Fulton Street This is Ron Henggeler’s Tower at 915 Fulton Street in San Francisco.  Ron is a collector, he started building this 45 foot tower after the Loma Prieta Earthquake.  He wandered down to where they were tearing up the Fell Street Freeway exit and scavenged the rebar, the tower grew from there.  Ron may seem like a nut, and in fact he is a major scavenger, but he is also an amazing artist, and quite the historian.  He is a very good photographer, and I have seen his scavenged items turned into some pretty neat things.  He is Continue Reading

Market Street – Blossoms of Interest

 Posted by on May 26, 2011
May 262011
 
Market Street - Blossoms of Interest

Mid Market U.N. Plaza Black Rock Arts Foundation and the San Francisco Arts Commission has an Art In Storefronts Program that was intended to help the revitalization of the mid-market area of San Francisco.  I don’t know if that can be done, but I do love the fact that art is being brought out to the public, no matter what the cause. This piece is by Karen Cusolito.  The definition reads:  “Previously exhibited at the Burning Man event as part of her sculptural series Infinitarium in 2010, Cusolito’s ‘Blooms’ create a ‘scale-reversal’ environment in which visitors are obliged to take Continue Reading

Rincon Center – Obelisk

 Posted by on May 25, 2011
May 252011
 
Rincon Center - Obelisk

Rincon Center Embarcadero This sculpture, simply titled “Obelisk” is in the Rincon Center.  It is by Joan Brown. Joan Brown was an American figurative painter who was born in San Francisco and lived and worked in Northern California. She was a notable member of the “second generation” of the Bay Area Figurative Movement. She studied at the California School of Fine Art (now San Francisco Art Institute), where her teachers included Elmer Bischoff.   Her sculpture is not as well known, and yet she did several of these obelisks, there are at least 3 in San Francisco.  These include the Pine Continue Reading

Embarcadero – Commuting

 Posted by on May 23, 2011
May 232011
 
Embarcadero - Commuting

This is our temporary Transbay Terminal.  The old one has finally been demolished.  The Transbay terminal was originally built in 1936 to handle the trains that came across the Bay Bridge into downtown San Francisco.  However, after WWII, the train lines were removed and the terminal became a bus depot.  Over the years it has become nothing more than a run down homeless refuge.  I am all for their tearing down the old one, and I am all for building a new one, but I am not sold on the new ultra modern design to come. The new Transbay terminal Continue Reading

Embarcadero – Fly me to the Moon

 Posted by on May 22, 2011
May 222011
 
Embarcadero - Fly me to the Moon

Embarcadero at Pier 14 “Raygun Gothic Rocketship” is a temporary art installation on the Embarcadero.  The project is sponsored by the Black Rock Arts Foundation, (the Burning Man group), with support from the Port of San Francisco.  The rocket ship is a retro-futurist sort of thing, and according to the artists group “A critical kitsch somewhere between The Moons of Mongo and Manga Nouveau”. The piece is the work of dozens of Bay Area artists with three lead artists headed by Sean Orlando.  They have a website that is really, really cool.  It tells you all about the rocket ship and Continue Reading

Paper in the wind

 Posted by on May 21, 2011
May 212011
 
Paper in the wind

I popped into the SF Fine Art Fair that is going on this weekend.  This is titled Paperlight Fortress by RISD grad Paul Hayes.  He is known for his site specific installations, and this isn’t the first of his I have seen, it was just the first I saw with camera in hand. In Paul’s own words “My installations consist of swarms of crumpled or folded paper suspended on strands of wire.  I am most drawn to the patterns of growth in the natural world. I often attempt to compose swarms that suggest motion, force, direction and time.”  

Icons of San Francisco – Transamerica Pyramid

 Posted by on May 20, 2011
May 202011
 
Icons of San Francisco - Transamerica Pyramid

,  An iconic image for San Francisco, the Transamerica Pyramid.  It was designed by architect William Pereira, and when it was first built it engendered considerable argument.  You either hated it or loved it, there seemed to be no in between.    Forty Eight stories or 850 feet tall, it was among the five tallest buildings in the world when it was completed in 1972.  The Transamerica company was bought out by a Dutch firm, and no longer exists.  The Dutch company however, still owns the building. There are so many fascinating facts about this building. The base of the building contains Continue Reading

Palm Springs Art Museum – Glass as Art

 Posted by on May 19, 2011
May 192011
 
Palm Springs Art Museum - Glass as Art

Like many people, my first exposure to glass as art was the stuff that you see in street fairs.  It wasn’t my favorite medium.  As I have gotten older, and visited more museums I fell in love with cast glass.  Glass casting is the process in which glass objects are cast by pouring molten glass into a mould where it solidifies. The technique has been used since the Egyptian period. Modern cast glass is formed by a variety of processes such as kiln casting, or casting into sand, graphite or metal moulds. I think I am still mostly drawn to Continue Reading

SOMA – Defenestration

 Posted by on May 17, 2011
May 172011
 
SOMA - Defenestration

6th and Howard SOMA AS OF JUNE OF 2014 DEFENESTRATION HAS BEEN REMOVED Defenestration is at 6th and Howard Street in San Francisco.  Not only is it about two blocks from my house but  I also had the privilege of working with its artist Brian Goggin (before this installation) through a charitable organization LEAP, which brings art and architecture into schools.  So, I was very happy to see that it has had a face lift.  Defenestration literally means “Throw out of a window”.  This installation was done by Brian and well over 100 volunteers.  It is on the site of Continue Reading

Van Nuys – Strolling in a sewer plant.

 Posted by on May 14, 2011
May 142011
 
Van Nuys - Strolling in a sewer plant.

This story is going to take a while to unfold, so grab a cup of coffee and come along with me on a journey.  I took the above photograph in Kenrokuen Gardens, Kanazawa, Japan.   This is considered one of the three best gardens in all of Japan.  (The Japanese do all their “bests” in threes).  The photograph is not the best of the hundreds of shots I took that day, but it is going to illustrate my point most perfectly.  I would like to confess, straight up, I am a nut about Japanese culture.  It is in my soul, Continue Reading

Palm Springs – Oddities

 Posted by on May 13, 2011
May 132011
 
Palm Springs - Oddities

This is one of my favorite types of architecture.  Scavenger, innovative, a tad crazy and an absolute representation of the person that built it.  This is the home of Cabot Yerxa.  He was the son of a fabulously wealthy family that lost it all.  He was a creative, innovative and wealthy man by his own right, but when it all went south, he went to the desert.  He was 17 when he headed off to the 1898 Gold Rush to make his fortune, he met Teddy Rosevelt there who later made him the Postmaster General in the Pasadena, California area, Continue Reading

Palm Springs – Art Moderne

 Posted by on May 13, 2011
May 132011
 
Palm Springs - Art Moderne

This little Depression Era “Art Moderne” gem is at 342 North Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs.  There is very little known about it.  It is assumed to be built around 1935-1936, the first actual knowledge of its existence is a listing in the 1937 phone book.  At that time is was Simpson’s Radio and Fridgidaire.  Clarence Simpson was a local civic leader that passed away in 1944.  It has been the Cork and Bottle since 1950. Art Moderne, also called Streamline Moderne, was a late type of the Art Deco design style which emerged during the 1930s. Its architectural Continue Reading

Palm Springs – Gothic Revival

 Posted by on May 11, 2011
May 112011
 
Palm Springs - Gothic Revival

Over the years I have walked by this little church on my way to downtown Palm Springs.  It has always caught my eye.  A Gothic Revival made of CMU is a big hmmmm? in my book.  It is in fact that only surviving Gothic Revival Building in Palm Springs.  Completed in 1935 is was designed by Charles Tanner.  A Canadian that emigrated to the U.S. he began his working life as an illustrator of children’s books.  He moved to Riverside, California and began supplementing his work as an artist and art teacher by working as a draftsman for architect G. Continue Reading

Palm Springs – Ship of The Desert

 Posted by on May 10, 2011
May 102011
 
Palm Springs - Ship of The Desert

“Ship of the Desert” is classic Art Moderne due to its “nautical” elements.  This home, located at 1995 S. Camino Monte in Palm Springs, was built in 1936.  However, the original (designed by Earl Webster and Adrian Wilson) was seriously damaged by fire.  The owner, clothing designer, Trina Turk hired Marmol Radziner, an architecture firm in Santa Monica, to restore and modernize the 4,400-square-foot, five-bedroom residence. The new design stays true to the original nautical look, with curved walls and redwood balconies that resemble a ship’s decks. The home was given the name “Ship of the Desert” by Sunset Magazine Continue Reading

Elvis in Palm Springs

 Posted by on May 9, 2011
May 092011
 
Elvis in Palm Springs

Okay, I don’t know if this one would be rated up there as one of the best examples of Modern Architecture, but I had to use it because it has ties to Elvis Presley.  This is called the House of Tomorrow and was designed in 1962 by William Krisel.  It was commissioned by Robert Alexander, a developer, for his wife Helene.  The house is designed in four circles on three levels.  It incorporates glass and “peanut brittle” stone work to allow the indoor/outdoor living the desert is so famous for.  It has simple post and beam construction, sloping roofs with Continue Reading

Palm Springs – Modern Architecture

 Posted by on May 8, 2011
May 082011
 
Palm Springs - Modern Architecture

I loved this building.  To me it epitomizes everything you think about when you think 1960’s architecture.  It’s square lines, its concrete tilt-up panel walls and its austereness.  It was built in 1969 and designed by Robert Ricciardi.  I have found absolutely no information about this building, one little blurb mentioned that the “failure” of the corduroy concrete was discovered when the boards were removed, but that they embraced the failure.  If you are interested in learning more about tilt-up concrete construction go here.  

Palm Springs – Modern Architecture

 Posted by on May 7, 2011
May 072011
 
Palm Springs - Modern Architecture

  Palm Springs is the home of the Modernism movement, especially “desert modernism”.  While modernism is not my favorite architecture style, when it is done right, it really does sing.  This is the Del Marco Hotel.  It is located at 225 W. Baristo Road in Palm Springs.  The architect was William Cody.  In 1947 Cody moved to Palm Springs from Los Angeles, where he had graduated from USC and worked for Cliff May. This was his first desert project, it began a post war modernism style all on its own.  The Modernism society of Palm Springs is excellent, and in Continue Reading

Presidio Habitats – Digger Bee

 Posted by on May 6, 2011
May 062011
 
Presidio Habitats - Digger Bee

    I did not find this “habitat” interesting for the art, but rather for the bee itself.  I had never heard of a digger bee, and I am sure many others have not either. These bees are solitary creatures and dig a small network of tunnels under ground. At the end of each tunnel, they place one egg and pollen, often shaped like a ball, for the developing bee. There are several thousand species of digger bees worldwide.  The artist, Amy Lambert, recreated these pollen balls and place “stories” on them. I chose the photo above, only because it Continue Reading

Presidio Habitats – Black Tailed Jack Rabbit

 Posted by on May 5, 2011
May 052011
 
Presidio Habitats - Black Tailed Jack Rabbit

I did this one backwards.  I started at the finish, and felt that the exhibit was tired and sad, but then I turned around and saw the view behind me.  I figured with the wind whipping around and the salt air, that would explain how tired this portion was.  Sadly, that wasn’t the case, the start was just as worn and tattered.  But sadness seems to be the point.  This habitat was for the Black-tailed jackrabbit, that has disappeared from the Presidio.  Apparently the artist, Nathan Lynch, thought a race with the tortoise would lure it back.

Presidio Habitats – Owl Dome

 Posted by on May 4, 2011
May 042011
 
Presidio Habitats - Owl Dome

This “Owl Dome” is another habitat for the western screech owl.  Hanging 16 feet in the air it merges tepee and geodesic dome. The design of the dome is similar to the type of nest that an owl might occupy within a tree trunk. A hole allows the owl to enter and nest within the dome, well protected from natural elements and predators. The hemp rope wrapped around the tripod support is designed to provide an easy grip for fledgling owls. Taalman Koch Architecture was responsible for this habitat. The thing I found interesting about this particular habitat, was its accessibility. Continue Reading

Presidio Habitats – Ai Weiwei

 Posted by on May 3, 2011
May 032011
 
Presidio Habitats - Ai Weiwei

Ai Weiwei first came into my consciousness when I read a Financial Times article about his Sunflower Seed exhibition at the Tate Modern. Please, Please, Please watch this amazing video of the exhibition, it explains the making of the seeds and the meaning of them as well. Ai Weiwei is a Chinese artist and activist, who is also active in architecture, curating, photography, film, and social and cultural criticism. You know his work, he collaborated with Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron as the artistic consultant on the Beijing National Stadium for the 2008 Olympics. (otherwise known as the bird’s nest)  In addition Continue Reading

Presidio Habitat – American Robin

 Posted by on May 2, 2011
May 022011
 
Presidio Habitat - American Robin

There are three signs creating this habitat.  “Adapt to Change”  “Resolve Conflict With Song” and the one way in the back that is hard to read says “Nest From the Inside Out”. This habitat was built for the American Robin, by Philippe Becker Design.  Each letter is framed with a steel armature and mesh netting that is filled with sterile straw.  This particular habitat while providing ideal nesting material for the robin gives us humans a missive to ponder. According to the Presidio Trust “The American Robin is the largest, most abundant, and most wide- spread North American thrush. The Continue Reading

The Presidio – Habitat

 Posted by on May 1, 2011
May 012011
 
The Presidio - Habitat

Presidio Habitats. This installation, A Habitat of Flight,  is by Surface Design. Their explanation is that this is representative of the Red-Tail Hawks exploration.  going through many different habitats, i.e. open spaces interspersed with trees or built structures. The Red-tailed Hawk is one of the most commonly observed birds of prey in the Presidio as well as in North America. Generally monogamous, this species initiates courtship and maintains the pair bond with spectacular aerial maneuvers. The acrobatics are often accompanied by shrill cries by one or both mates. The Red-tailed Hawk can be seen hunting from the air as well as Continue Reading

The Presidio – Ten Solitary Chairs

 Posted by on April 30, 2011
Apr 302011
 
The Presidio - Ten Solitary Chairs

The Presidio of San Francisco covers just under 3 square miles. Much of this is open space. The trust and an organization called FOR SITE began a project called Presidio Habitats as an opportunity for the public to see new, site-based art about place and to experience, the diverse landscapes and stunning vistas of the Presidio. The point of each exhibit was to have artists propose custom habitats for animal residents of the park. This is called TEN SOLITARY CHAIRS, its animal of choice was the Heron. The chairs are located in and around the Fort Scott Parade Ground. Each Continue Reading

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