"The Upper Crust"

[thoreau]

I've been meaning to photograph and post about this art installation at Civic Center for a long while. They went up in February and are taking on a whole new dimension now that the trees they are built on are starting to produce new leaves. (pictured right)

They are a public environmental art project by San Francisco artist Patrick Dougherty comprised of 18,000 lbs. of freshly cut willow saplings interwoven into the treetops of the sycamore trees in Civic Center Plaza.

From his website:

The artist carefully weaves the recycled willow branches through the sycamore tree branches to emerge through the treetops. The sculptural forms rise to a height of approximately 8 feet above the top of the trees. The sculptural form is created by the artist without an internal structure, wire, hardware or any outside means of attachment. The artist explains that twigs and saplings have a propensity to entangle and intertwine with everything. Dougherty bends and flexes the material resulting in a joyful and exuberant collision of art and nature in his large cocoon or hive like forms.

He has titled the work "THE UPPER CRUST." They have been holding up very well despite the windy blustery spring we've had in San Francisco. They will remain in place till November. It'll be interesting to see how they look when the sycamore tree hosts are in full summer bloom - and then again as those leaves go in the fall.

Very cool stuff! It is very cool living within a block of such coolness.... Kateydog and I watch the hives in the morning walk every morning.


looking up inside one of the 'hives' in Dougherty's "THE UPPER CRUST"

Comments

[balanceinchaos.livejournal.com]

WOW!

That's fabulous!

[bearzendurham.livejournal.com]

I think this might be the same artist that Joe and I have seen at the Nasher Museum here in Durham. Very interesting work!

[tycho-anomaly.livejournal.com]

He's based in Chapel Hill. Here's his site, which has some amazing photos of more of his work.

Back in 1987, he did an installation for us in the window of Manbites Dog's first performance space in Durham.

[low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com]

I like the term "environmental" art - I'm now checking out his site - .... (time warp) .... I love the "vases" he did for the museum of glass in Tacoma WA - and the dwellings in Indiana - and the trees in Hawaii.. how cool! :) thanks for the link...

Malevolent Tree Hats

[timzilla.livejournal.com]

Except its killing the trees. Maybe. I suppose its a chance we have to take to look at hideous public art. Personally I would rather just see the trees which are lovely enough without those malevolent tree hats.

http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/Civic-Center-art-project-may-be-killing-trees-43754617.html

Re: Malevolent Tree Hats

[low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com]

yea - I thought they'd come down when the trees started showing spring leaves - but the art is supposed to stay up through a full cycle and come down only when the trees lose their leaves in October/November.

Nice

[poodler.livejournal.com]

Great sculptures! We saw something similar in 2002 or so up at a college in Maine that was similarly awesome. Would that I could remember the artist, perhaps they're the same.

[designerotter.livejournal.com]

I love Dougherty's work ! ... some years ago he was invited to the local campus to create a group of spiraling 'tornadoes' (that's what I called them) which I thought were enchanting. I was pissed at the local university authorities for dimanteling the pieces after a few weeks. Hope the Civic Center trees last through several seasons.