SF Design Ideas

              Sculpture people put in their yards come in all sorts of designs from the familiar to the abstract. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t. I’m always amused when I walk the streets of San Francisco and spy a sculpture that is oddly conceived and poorly placed. I’ve also noticed that, like tattoos, people who own and display yard sculpture are often  unsatisfied with just one, or two or even three. However many pieces their yard can accommodate, that’s how many sculptures you’ll find in it.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of sculpture gardens and I enjoy seeing them prominently or subtly displayed in people’s yard. They can add a whimsical feel to their surroundings by allowing viewers a passing hint of a story or adding a bit of depth to a garden experience. Sculptures can create ideal relationships between nature and art; a maiden’s hand delicately reaching out to touch the soft petals of a blooming flower. When conceived and executed well, a yard sculpture can provide a renewed sense of happiness every time you see it.

And then there are the ones that make you cringe and grind your teeth. Like the knock-off of David above. The problem there isn’t so much the placement of the sculpture but the objects surrounding it. As you can see in the smaller picture, the sculpture could work well where it is by providing a nice contrast to a pretty shrub. Unfortunately, a couple of ugly garbage bins and an empty stroller make it appear as though it were left there by the owners to be carted away on trash day.

The lion below is a little strange because of its solitude and pose. Unlike the lions that guard the entrance to a house, this one reminds me of the fable about the lion with a thorn in its paw, suffering in silence amid a  sea of  concrete. Wouldn’t a pretty tree have been a better choice? Especially since there’s a hose available for watering.

My dog used to get into a barking fits whenever we passed this sad lion during our walks. He never got used to it and frankly, I can see why.

This weird face is a public sculpture that I discovered downtown one evening. The size of the face is actually about 8′ and lit from below, it gives it an eerie sensibility.

This is its strange partner below.

And then there are the homemade sculptures which I love. They’re fun and unique and a great way to show off one’s creative skills.

I hope you are enjoying my posts as much as I am enjoying writing them. Please let me know what you think and any suggestions you have. Until tomorrow I remain your loyal,

Design Detective,

Karen

Galloping into the wind!

And who wouldn’t be if you looked this good?

San Francisco is known for a lot of things like great food, great views, cable cars, golden bridges and free thinkers but what doesn’t get talked about too much is the wind! Clean, ocean smelling, smog clearing wind that brings in a lot of money to sweat shirt sellers for  tourists who’ve arrived in shorts and tank tops expecting a hot, California summer in the City.

With so much wind, it only makes sense to take advantage of the potential to show off a little art with a snappy weather vane hitched to the highest peak of a house. These little metal gems started catching my eye four years ago when we had our house painted. I live in a tall Victorian that would’ve been perfect for a weather vane to crown the house. I never did get around to picking one out but my love for them has continued to grow over the years.

I particularly like kinetic art and seeing colossal planks of wood or giant metal circles silently moving with the wind; it seems so magical to me. The pieces act as  interpreters of the shifting air, permitting me to see what I can only feel, changes the wind into an invisible artist.  Weather vanes add an extra dimension to the artistry by revealing the direction the wind is blowing; pointing to the culprit in a humorous fashion, which for me, are the best kinds of weather vanes; the ones that hold a story.

When I see whales twisting in the sky or horses at full gallop with a carriage full of passengers,or the simple outline of a rooster, I can’t help but imagine a story about where they’re headed, what they might be chasing or how they got to where they’re at in the first place. Small, intriguing, moving pieces of everyday design and I love it.