The Ghoulish Statues of 580 California Street

The next time you are in the neighborhood of California and Kearny, look up.  You will see three ghoulish looking, grim reaper like statues appearing to stare out at this mythical city by the sea.  Were they put there like gargoyles to scare away evil spirits?  Are they a sign of human, and city mortality?

Unfortunately, the real answer is not romantic or whimsical.  These statues were created by Murial Castanis, and the formal title for these artistic statues is "Three Models for 580 California," but they are more commonly known as the "Corporate Goddesses."

There must be more story behind the creation of these statues, but at this point it has not been published, and the artist passed away a few years ago.  It does make you wonder what story future generations may attach to these medieval ladies.

Cheers!

Mike

Views at the deYoung Museum

"Language of the Birds"

The next time you are in North Beach, check out the art piece displayed at Columbus and Broadway. It is entitled "Language of the Birds," and is made up of 23 illuminated polycarbonate books hanging from electrical lines. On the sidewalk below the books rest many English, Italian, and Chinese words and phrases etched into the sidewalk. Standing underneath it, you get the feeling that the books have taken flight, and in the process lost some of their words and phrases which floated to the ground. At night the books are illuminated by power generated from solar panels housed on the roof of nearby City Lights Bookstore.

It was created by Brian Goggin and Dorka Keehn. Brian Goggins is also the artist who designed "Defenestration" at 6th and Howard.

"Language of the Birds" is the direct result of a city ordinance which puts aside 2 percent of capital improvement costs to fund Public Art Programs. Most of the money for this art piece came from private donations, but the city did kick in a generous amount to start the creative process. You have to love a city that recognizes the importance of art.

Cheers.

Mike

Socialism in the City

 

When you visit Coit Tower, spend some time looking at the murals surrounding the hallway inside the structure.  At first glance, you may just bypass them and concentrate on the views and getting into the elevator, but the murals themselves are an amazing attraction.  Created in 1933 as one of the first public works projects, the California School of Fine Arts faculty and staff worked hard to create paintings that would reflect life in California.  There are cowboys, 49ers, fruit pickers, industrial workers, etc.

During this time, Rockefeller Center removed Diego Rivera's artwork because he had painted in an image of Lenin.  The artists who were working on Coit Tower protested and painted in several leftist images to show solidarity with Rivera.  These paintings created quite a stir, and one of the pictures entitled "Workers of the World Unite" was removed before the opening.

Today, you can still see the socialist influence in the murals that line the hallways of Coit Tower.  You can see it in the man who is pulling Karl Marx's Das Kapital off a bookshelf, or the man who is portrayed reading a newspaper with the headline talking about Rivera's artwork being removed from Rockefeller Center.  It is also in the painting of a man who is reaching for the Daily Worker from a newsstand, and in the scene of a poor family panning for gold as a rich family looks on.  In addition, closely check out the industrial paintings, especially the one showing a sea of diverse workmen joining together.

It is definitely worth going to Coit Tower for the phenomenal views, but also take some time to really study the murals.  You won't be disappointed.

Cheers,

Mike

San Francisco: Street Smarts

Street Smarts set up shop in Golden Gate Park today to show off their talent on temporary walls.  It is a program that was created through a collaboration between the San Francisco Arts Commission and the Department of Public Works.  According to their flier, they "connect established urban artists with private property owners to create vibrant murals, making the property less likely to be vandalized."  This is so San Francisco. 

Cheers!

Mike

Street Graffiti? Art? Political Statement?

 

This photo was taken in an alley off of Van Ness Avenue near Russian Hill.  What was the artist trying to get across by writing this on the wall?  Was it gang related or just an attempt to say something about society?  Is it art?

One interpretation of this is that separation equals death.  Is it that simple?  Maybe it refers to three degrees of separation leading to death.  Maybe the three words represent a severed relationship with an individual's family, friendship, and relationship which can lead to a spiritual, if not physical, death. 

The focus is definitely death because of the placement of the word and how it is the only one capitalized, but what is the purpose of the three "separations?"  Is it significant that the first one is misspelled and different than the other two?  What about the other words (ago, it) that are spelled out in the grid?

Anything that raises this many questions must be a work of art.  Anything that makes an individual stare at it for any amount of time and ponder what it means must be art.  Therefore, this is an example, and maybe even a clever example, of San Francisco street art.

Cheers!

Mike

Friday Art: Atlas

If you walk by the front of city hall in San Francisco, you can't help but notice the four images of Atlas surrounding the entrance and holding up the pillars above.  Atlas, as the legend tells, was a Titan who waged war against the Olympians, primarily Zues.  When the Titans lost the war, Zues punished Atlas by making him stand on Gaia (earth) and hold up Uranus (sky) so that they could not embrace.  To this day, Atlas is still holding up the heavens.



San Francisco honors this Titan by placing him on the entrance to one of the most important political buildings in the city.  What type of statement does that make?

 

Asian Art Museum, San Francisco

If you find yourself around city hall with some free time on your hands, consider stopping in at the Asian Art Museum and be transported to other regions and time periods.  This museum has one of the largest collections of Asian art in the Western world, and it spans a period of 6,000 years.  As you journey through the museum, you will find yourself surrounded by magnificent sculpture, delicate pottery, and vivid screens.  When you leave, it may take you a few moments to acclimate back to the United States.  Below you will find just a few of the pictures I took when I visited this great treasure of a museum.

 

Out and About in San Francisco

Nob Hill

16th Street Mural

Garage Door Buddha

Pushing Up Daisies

The Beloved Castro District

Dolores Park

Historical Saturday: Saint Martin de Porres

Saint Martin de Porres, Mission Dolores Basilica, S.F.

On a recent visit to the Mission Dolores Basilica, I noticed the statue of a black saint that greeted people as they entered the church from a side courtyard.  What really caught my attention was the addition of a real broom which he held in his hands.  Yes, a real broom slipped through the porcelain hands of the statue.  I could have taken it out of his hands and used it to sweep the floor.

According to Wikipedia, his name is Martin de Porres (1579 - 1639), and he was a lay brother for the Dominican order.  He was illegitimately born to a former black slave and a Spanish nobleman.  In 1962, the memory of him was honored by canonization, and he is now know as the patron saint of "mixed-race people and all those seeking interracial harmony."

Why the broom?  Because he believed that "all work is sacred no matter how menial."  As with the statute at the Basilica, he is usually accompanied by a cat and a dog which drink out of the same dish.

Cheers!

Mike

"Defenestration"

If you drive by sixth and Howard in SOMA (South of Market), you will find an artistic structure that was made out of an abandoned building.  Attached to the sides of this brick apartment, you will see chairs, lamps, sofas, refrigerators, old fashioned bathtubs, a giant armoire and even a grandfather's clock.  They are firmly attached, but they appear to be in the midst of a great fall.  You will see these items on the fire escapes, window ledges, and sometimes just sitting on the sides of the building.  To add a touch of whimsy, the lamps are turned on at night.  The ground level of the building is boarded up and serves as a venue for street artists to use their talent.  

Brian Goggin is the creator of this contemporary piece of art, and it's name, "Defenestration," means to throw someone or something out the window.  I could tell you all the different interpretations on the art, but I think it is probably best if you experience it yourself and draw your own conclusions on what it means about our society and the neighborhood in which it resides.

Cheers!

Mike

San Francisco's Museum of Modern Art (MOMA)

Sculpture Garden