Construction in the Presidio of the newly redesigned Doyle Drive is changing the views and landscapes around Crissy Field dramatically.
In an unintentional mirroring, eight huge sculptures by Mark di Suvero have been installed for a year's time by SFMOMA in the park fronting the Golden Gate Bridge.
The sculptures look like Erector sets on steroids...
...through from the vantage point of the new Doyle Drive, they are charmingly shrunken and look like a boy's toy project, with miniature people walking underneath.
In another mirroring, the landscape looks like a Diebenkorn painting (who is having a major exhibit at the de Young Museum right now) with its saturated greens, desaturated surroundings and bright red accents.
When I was a little tyke I started mid-year with my mantra of "All I want for Christmas is my Erector Set", repeating it SO many times that I actually got one. The next year I thought I wanted a "Burp Gun" so I repeated the same technique--alas, to no avail... Just enough underwear and socks to keep me going another year. When I got drafted in 1969 I finally got that "Burp Gun" and quickly learned that it wasn't as fun to shoot as I had imagined. Anyway, I think these sculptures look quite militaristic. One "gun" is pointed dead-on at Alcatraz.
ReplyDeleteThe Di Suvero scultures have never done much for me, but they work in that context.
ReplyDeleteNew York's Natural History Museum -- African Butterfly exhibit:
ReplyDeleteAn exciting symmetrical overall design in a dull color -- black;
An dull splotch in the middle of the design in an exciting color -- red.
How to make a spectacular showing in good (non-gaudy) taste: hide an exciting quality in a dull quality.
Another example -- trees:
an overall symmetrical design (for maximum absorption of air and light) constructed out of gnarly, asymmetrical pieces.
(Of course if you think black is an exciting color the butterfly will look gaudy -- same principle).
Now take your bright orange, twisted collection of girders: what more need I say?