Ruth Asawa's San Francisco Fountain - San Francisco, CA
Posted by: 
saopaulo1
N 37° 47.331 W 122° 24.422
10S E 552210 N 4182553
A relief fountain in San Francisco.
Waymark Code: WMDZAP
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 03/12/2012
Views: 7
The plaque reads: "Visitors come from far and near to see the fountain the tells the visual story of San Francisco created by world renowned San Francisco artist Ruth Asawa.
Commissioned by Hyatt in 1970 and completed in 1972, the fountain consists of 41 individual bronzed plaques each about 26X32 inches depicting San Francisco landmarks covering the entire circular wall of the fountain bowl and measuring over 14 feet in diameter. At the center of the high wall of the drum, you will notice HH which represents the Grand Hyatt on Union Square. Everything to the south of Union Square is to the left, everything north is to the right. The Ocean is the top boundary, the bay is at the bottom. You may recognize the Powell St Cable Car turnabout, the opera house, Nob Hill, the SF-Oakland Bay Bridge, the Ferry Building, Ghiradelli Square, Fisherman's Wharf, the Palace of Fine Arts, and the Golden Gate Bridge, among many other familiar sights. In addition, you may notice fantasies such as Superman flying past the Montgomery St Skyscraper over Snoopy on his dog house or the Wizard of Oz character. Total effect is a real and unreal world where anyone can enter.
Because of Ruth's desire to show what many many hands working together could do, help from visitors and over 100 children in the area was solicited. Rather than the traditional sculpture's material, Asawa used a bread dough bakers clay to model the fountain. When finished the piece of sculptured dough was arranged on the panels surface and stuck down with white glue. The panel were then set aside the thoroughly dry before being taken to the fountain for casting.
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the fountain is that in the end, Asawa succeeded in proving her point; it is her work produced by many hands and alike all great folk monuments, it belongs to everyone."
Your impression of the sculpture?: 
Date Sculpture was opened for vewing?: 01/01/1972
Where is this sculpture?:
345 Stockton Street
San Francisco, CA USA
Sculptors Name: Ruth Asawa
Website for sculpture?: Not listed
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