This is Super Hygiene Man. He and his mates are on the Russ side of what used to be the SOMA health center. These fellows sit on the wall of Tutubi Plaza that faces the butterflies.
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 park. The fence that surrounds it is also part of the Redevelopment project. The fence surrounding it is by Amy Blackstone.
It is put down through a process called street print, which is a thermoplastic surfacing system. Apparently they first reheat the asphalt pavement then imprint the asphalt pavement with a template made from 3/8” flexible wire rope. The patterns are then hand painted with a high grade polyurethane compound. That I would have enjoyed watching.
This piece was commissioned by the SFAC for a price not to exceed $15,000.
2018 Update
The street furniture and bollards have been removed and the street is no longer a pedestrian street. The damage is quite obvious.
Learn more, watch our video