Wednesday, June 03, 2009

SFMOMA Free Tuesdays 3: Rooftop Sculpture



The first Tuesday of each month is free admission at SFMOMA and the place was jammed with young people having a good time.



There are a number of entrances and exits to a glass-enclosed rooftop section that ushers one to the rooftop...



...where you can wander around Bourgeois Spiders.



The outdoor section of the roof doesn't offer much protection from the sun...



...and most of the surrounding skyscrapers are fairly undistinguished except for this Art Deco beauty next door.



Some of the art is a bit scary like the Kiki Smith nude above...



...and the thick stone, thin glass and precarious vise sculpture which dominates the center of the roof.



There is a Calder sculpture which actually moves, though...



...and the addition of natural light streaming through the top floor is wonderful.

6 comments:

Matthew Hubbard said...

I love the art you photograph, but I feel cheated when I go there and there's not enough beautiful young people, either mugging for the camera like in the first picture, or being way past adorable like the father and child in the next to last shot.

Civic Center said...

Dear Matty: It was sheer serendipity. I was checking out one of my clients South of Market to see if they had any work for me (they didn't), and I noticed the hullaballoo in front of the museum. So on my way back to Market Street I popped in and it turned out to be completely charming..

Plus, "The Americans" exhibit is frigging amazing. Find somebody you know who has a membership and check it out,

Nancy Ewart said...

One of the glass panels on the dome has already broken and another panel is covered with pigeon poop. Do you suppose they are getting into the art critic business?

Civic Center said...

Dear Nancy: I thought the broken glass was supposed to be part of the sculpture but I guess not.

Nancy Ewart said...

I asked the guard and she no - that it had been broken a couple of days earlier and that the artist hadn't gotten around to fixing it. They had to put up a rope and keep a close eye on the broken glass to keep kids from being hurt. However, I did think that the pigeon poop added a certain, much needed urban ambiance. I wished that the pigeons could drop a few loads on the snooty barristas at the Blue Bottle Cafe; they act like they are handing out holy water and didn't have any Spenda for those who are diabetic. I always carry my own and was able to give the elderly gentleman a few packets but neither of us was very impressed.

Civic Center said...

Dear Nancy: Thanks for the update. I've never understood the Blue Bottle Coffee cult and tend to avoid their outlets like the plague.