Masonic and Geary Streets
The intersection of Masonic and Geary was completely redevloped by the city as part of a streetscape project.
The art work chosen for the project was Point of Departure by Scott Oliver.
Where are you going right now?
To get inspiration for the signs Oliver stood on the corner for five days asking three questions of passers by. The three questions, stamped into the poles, were: “Where are you going right now? Where and when were you born? Where do you want to go that you’ve never been before?”
Some respondents answered in their native languages, which is why some signs are in Russian, Tagalog, Spanish or Chinese.
Where do you want to go that you’ve never been before?
About the piece Oliver said “I’m trying to make something that people using this space can connect with on some level,” “The place isn’t really connected to a neighborhood. It’s a transitory spot that people use to get elsewhere. I wanted to bring form to that. The significance of the space right now is where you are headed next, not the spot itself.”
Where and when were you born?
The piece was commisioned by the San Francisco Arts Commision at a cost of $117,000. It was paid for by the Department of Public Works, under the “2%-for-art” program.
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