Thursday, June 22, 2006

San Francisco Solstice Light



The third large piece of "Burning Man Art" from the Black Rock Arts Foundation appeared on the Embarcadero earlier this month.



It's a 30-foot high statue of a mother and child called "Passage" that was a popular favorite at last year's event in the Black Rock desert.



The piece is also an instant hit on the San Francisco waterfront, where Mission Street hits the Embarcadero, a block east of the Ferry Building.



People are posing on the sculpture...



...walking around and through it...



...and altogether being thoroughly amused.



The sculpture was created by a couple of newlyweds in Hunters Point, Dan Das Mann and Karen Cusolito.



As is usual with these Burning Man art pieces, the installation is temporary.



If you want more information, check out the Black Rock Art Foundation's website, (click here).



Even cooler than the sculpture is a brand-new "public recreation" pier that stretches out into the bay from the same location.



It was originally a 637-foot concrete breakwater protecting the ferry terminals...



...but somebody had the bright idea to create a new public space out it.



It's all very spare and moderne, but there are metal chairs sprinkled around the far end of the pier.



The best part about the chairs is not only that they're fairly comfortable but they swivel...



...and you can spin around in them...



...while taking in the spectacular 360 degree view...



Or you can read and just take in the bay essence if that's what you so desire.



There's even a nice, minimalist trio of engravings with a Lawrence Ferlinghetti poem, which reads:
The light of San Francisco
is a sea light
an island light


And then another scrim
when the new night fog
floats in


And in that vale of light
the city drifts
anchorless upon the ocean



Whoever made this pier possible deserves hearty congratulations.

4 comments:

  1. Anonymous3:35 PM

    markleym said...

    Thrice weekly when exercising at the Embarcadero Y I've had a good view of what's now Pier 14, finding it mysterious, wondering about it as it as it was built over many months (or is it years?). Why were they building it? What was its use? I never thought of its being a breakwater for the Ferry Building, being in the side away from the mouth of the bay. My theory was that it was for the use of the long boats that race with 16 or so oars. Guess I was wrong.

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  2. Got to get down there and see this! I wouldn't have known about it without your pictures. Not part of my regular haunts. :-)

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  3. Anonymous7:22 AM

    The pier's finally open? It's been "under construction" with no work being done on it for YEARS!

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  4. Anonymous1:34 PM

    Could someone please explain the meaning of the "clear substance" that extends from the mother's right hand to the child's left hand? The pictures above do not show it, but the "clear substance" was recently added as part of the art piece.

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