The first piece I came across was a very large mural of a dragon. This piece stretched about a quarter block, leaving me no chance of getting the entire painting in frame. My first impression was amazement, since this dragon was so huge. If dragons actually existed, then this one would be as close to life-size as possible. What I liked about this piece was how well the different colors blended together. The dragon’s face and what can only be described as hair, are comprised of a myriad of colors. None of which stand out any more than the others. The blue background gets lighter and lighter as it ascends, which to me represents calmness and tranquility. The dragon seemed to be smiling with contentment, as was I when taking these pictures.
The next piece I came across has a bit of history to it. This mural was painted by Amy Nelder, and is located at the Charity Cultural Services Center at 827 Stockton. This mural is a dedication to 848 Chinese railroad workers who miraculously laid down a world record 10 miles of track one day in 1869. In 1868 The Central Pacific Railway laid 350 miles of track. About one mile per day. Needless to say it was a great accomplishment, and this mural serves as an homage to the Chinese immigrant community in San Francisco. As far as the artwork goes, I felt it was campy, yet had a happy feel to it. For some reason the three floating heads reminded me of pictures they have hanging at Red Robin. To me, it seemed that the mural simply was there to supplement the facts of what happened that day, and that the actual artwork was not the most important factor.
I came into Chinatown skeptical of finding anything of worth. Upon leaving I was delighted to have come in the first place, and that left me optimistic about my journeys in the future.
Another great example of hidden art in SF. Interesting! Love the history.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you ended up in Chinatown on a whim; isn't it the best when you stumble upon things you didn't intend to? I'm also glad that you decided to write about the railroad mural because I see it all the time. I've got mixed feelings about it, and you seem to share them. The artwork itself does not pull me in; I find it too realistic and flat. However, I like that it reflects the history of the Chinese immigrant community. There are quite a few murals around the City that depict the experiences of different cultures. However, I think there should be more! I hope to see more murals that integrate beautiful artwork with history. I never even knew that the railroad mural was to commemorate the world record of laying 10 miles of track in a day. That's so interesting, and I think we could learn so much more relevant history from displaying it on public artwork. I love the focus of your blog; it's necessary to appreciate all the free art we have in San Francisco!
ReplyDeleteWow! I am so impressed with the detail of the Chinese Railroad mural, it is painted to perfection. I have ventured down to Chinatown many times, but have never gotten the chance to check out this wonderful piece of history, depicted throughout art. I can't wait to go see it for myself :)
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