1 Maritime Plaza – Public Art and Architecture from Around the World

Henry Moore at 1 Maritime Plaza

Posted by Cindy on October 13, 2012

Oct 132012

1 Maritime Plaza

Standing Figure Knife Edged by Henry Moore – 9161

This is an enlarged bone with the addition of a small head. Moore had always been fascinated by bones.

“Since my student days I have liked the shape of bones, and have drawn them, studied them in the Natural History Museum, found them on sea-shores and saved them out of the stewpot. There are many structural, and sculptural principles to be learnt from bones, e.g. that in spite of their lightness they have great strength. Some bones, such as the breast bones of birds, have the lightweight fineness of a knife-blade. Finding such a bone led to me using this knife-edge thinness in 1961 in a sculpture Seated Woman (thin neck). In this figure the thin neck and head, by contrast with the width and bulk of the body, give more monumentality to the work. Later in 1961 I used this knife-edged thinness throughout a whole figure, and produced this Standing Figure.”

Henry Moore quoted in Phillip James, Henry Moore on Sculpture; a collection of the sculptor’s writings and spoken words, Macdonald. London 1966, p.278

Henry Moore (1898 – 1986) is perhaps the most influential public sculptor of this century. Drawing on his studies of Classical, pre-Columbian and African art, Moore created original and truly modern sculptural forms. Abstractions of organic shapes were his primary motif. His seated, standing, and reclining figures comprise an enduring vocabulary reflecting the universality of the human condition.

“The observation of nature is part of an artist’s life, it enlarges his form [and] knowledge, keeps him fresh and from working only by formula, and feeds inspiration.” ~ Henry Moore

“In my opinion, everything, every shape, every bit of natural form, animals, people, pebbles, shells, anything you like are all things that can help you to make a sculpture.” ~ Henry Moore as quoted in Five British Sculptors (Work and Talk) by Warren Forma, 1964.

San Francisco is fortunate enough to have four Henry Moores, the other accessible one sits in front of Davies Symphony Hall. This piece is owned by the Golden Gateway Center Collection of Fine Art.

Icosaspirale

Posted by Cindy on October 12, 2012

Oct 122012

1 Maritime Plaza

Icosaspirale by Charles Perry – 1967 – 8 feet – Brass

This sculpture is constructed of bronze rods brazed together into triangular sections. Those sections were assembled into an Icosahedron shape. Note that each triangle that makes up the Icosahedron is itself a spiral. Hense the name “Icosaspirale

Charles O. Perry (1929-2011) was born in Montana. After graduating from Yale, Perry practiced architecture in San Francisco, California with the firm of Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill, from 1958- 1963. During his architectural career he had developed many sculptural models and was offered a one-man sculpture show in San Francisco. At the same time, he won the Rome Prize, a prestigious award granted by the American Academy in Rome for two years study in Italy. Prior to leaving for Rome in 1964, he had secured two major sculpture commissions. “The basic difference in the discipline of architecture and sculpture is that one can’t force a solution in sculpture, whereas in architecture, one can arrive at an apparent ‘rational’ solution through continual work.” For Perry, the appropriateness of the form is the criteria for the final goal.

As an industrial designer, Charles Perry invented and patented three unique prize winning chairs. He designed other objects of art such as a collection of jewelry and silver for Tiffany, chess sets, and puzzles.

This piece was commissioned by the Golden Gateway Building Company and dedicated to the City of San Francisco, it is part of the Golden Gateway Center Collection of Fine Art.

Peacock Fountain at 1 Maritime Plaza

Posted by Cindy on October 11, 2012

Oct 112012

1 Maritime Plaza
Embarcadero

This Peacock fountain was designed by architect Robert Woodward.

Robert Raymond (Bob) Woodward (1923 – 2010) was an Australian architect who gained widespread recognition for his innovative fountain designs. Woodward was educated at Granville Technical Granville and Sydney Technical College.Upon completion of his military service he enrolled in the architecture course at the University of Sydney. After graduating he worked locally for a year and then travelled to Finland to work for architects Alvar Aaltol and Viljo Revell. Upon his return he went into partnership, forming Woodward, Taranto and Wallace, specialising in commercial and industrial architecture.

In 1959, he won a competition to design a fountain in Kings Cross in Sydney to commemorate the war service of the 2/9th Division of the Australian Imperial Forces. The El Alamein Memorial Fountain, as it became known, was completed in 1961. Combining his architectural and earlier metalwork training he developed the “dandelion” inspired fountain which became one of the world’s most copied designs. Due to the success of this fountain, Woodward was approached for further commissions for fountain designs, significantly altering his career path.