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In addition to the meth cloud that hangs above Beck's Motorlodge -- we kid! sort of. but not really. -- Supervisor Bevan Dufty would like to create a pink cloud that would float over the intersection of Market and Castro streets. The idea, according to SF Chronicle, "is recycled from 2000, when artist Christian Werthmann's 'pink cloud' was one of two winning proposals for a city art piece to commemorate the late Harvey Milk, a supervisor and gay rights advocate." (Here's what it would look like.)
But the problem is, because there's always a problem when it comes to public art, some people like it, other loathe it. The latter fear the cloud will impair drivers' vision along Market Street, creating some sort massive car wreck, or that the cloud will blow away. Also, the report goes on to say, the San Francisco PUC is "paying Werthmann $9,500 for a feasibility study, which should take about three months," (!) to test wind and traffic patterns.
Needless to say, we love the idea of floating art. Really, this sounds futuristic, space age-y, and cool. But what say you? Where do you stand on the hot topic of pink clouds? After the jump, take our poll to let your pink-cloud voice be heard.
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Dumb, dumb, DUMB! Surely there's a better way to spend money and have a tribute to Harvey Milk. JFK got an eternal flame, are you telling me that wouldn't be just as gay as a freaking pink cloud that would conjure up all sorts of, "Welcome to the Castro, the gaseous neighborhood in SF!" jokes?
Also, come ON! Doesn't SF get made fun of enough, now we have to throw some Care Bear "art" into the mix?
A feasibility study?! Only in San Francisco.
At least they didn't go straight to an Environmental Impact study... "the toxic dye is making my dog psychotic!" Stop the dye spraying!
that's just silly
I love the idea of floating art too. But it really depends on how it's implemented.... what's it made out of? How high is it? How does it stay in place (or does it?)? If it interferes with traffic, then obviously no.
How about instead you give me $9,500 to test the feasibility of punching Bevan Dufty in the dick?
couldn't you do that just out of the goodness in your heart
That's 9,500 American dollars better spent on something worthwhile like cleaning up the god damned turds off the god damned sidewalk. This is ridiculous. I disliked Bevan Dufty before for being an insincere jerk with the prissy demeanor of a 12 year old girl, but now I think he should lose his job. Recall Bevan Dufty!
Forget getting my thoughts on the pink cloud. Let me tell you my thoughts on yet another fucking feasibility study while this city goes down the toilet financially.
I agree with Xenu's suggestion.
Pink clouds look like cotton candy. I am all in favor of a giant, floating cotton candy ball in the Castro.
I think the idea is interesting and the final product could be a nice addition to one of the few neighborhoods in the city where public art like this could fit in well. Think of the additional publicity and tourist dollars -- SF could use the additional tourist dollars right now.
I've also thought that the intersection where this is proposed for installation should be turned into a roundabout. Creating a roundabout here would help to create a better transition from the heart of the Castro to the neighborhoods, retail shops, etc. north of Market Street. Right now the intersection of Market, 17th, and Castro is really an unattractive feature in what is otherwise a very attractive and colorful part of town.
I'm not sure how a roundabout would work. That intersection has a ton of pedestrians, so some sort of traffic lights for pedestrians would be a requirement. In europe, the big roundabouts have pedestrian underpasses, so motorists can just exit the roundabout at will.
Maybe a cycle for 100% cars, then a cycle for 100% pedestrians would work...
Think of the additional publicity and tourist dollars -- SF could use the additional tourist dollars right now.
Christ almighty. What? You think Vern and Edna are going to trek all the way from Wichita, Kansas to see Bevan Dufty's World Famous Pink Cloud® and then proceed to drop hundreds of thousands of American dollars on cookies and dildos in the Castro? Well, golly. I guess I should just ignore the turds all over the sidewalk in front of my pad and thank my blessed stars that I live in Six Flags San Francisco where the almighty tourist dollar and the planets with hair who spend it are our chief concern. Come off it. I wouldn't even trek over from the Haight to look at this abortion of public art, so I seriously doubt any tourist would ever bother. Besides, don't you know? The good people of the Castro HATE tourists! That's why they banned the gay safari tour buses from their turd free Castro streets.
ENOUGH with projects in the Castro! They got that lame looking park at the corner of Castro and Market like three days ago, now they need fake art too? I say NO! Recall Bevan Dufty!
TAYM: Might I ask exactly where in this City you reside? Based on your posts, you seem to have an excessive amount of poop on your sidewalk, and I'd like to avoid it. Thanks. ;-)
Crackin me up!
Okay I gotta disagree with you here. I walk outside to Castro/Market every day, and the 17th/Market pedestrian project has been one of the city's few recent successes (the other I can think of being Sunday Streets).
It's a refuge for people to sit and relax. Harvey Milk plaza is more designed for people to pass through, Pink Triangle park is tiny and crowded with foliage and rocks, and the only other places to sit are pizza benches and bus shelters.
The new plaza is open and lets people have tables and chairs and generally sit around and enjoy being in our great neighborhood. So as someone who lives right next to it, I give the plaza two thumbs up!
That said, the pink cloud idea is silly. It'd be fun to have for special events (say, Pink Saturday if the city doesn't destroy it), but all the time? o.O;
If I could make the public art there, I'd set up giant prisms that cast rainbows over everything that moved with the sun. =)
Absolutely people would come here to see a giant pink cloud. Then they can continue on their adventure to see that giant ball of string they have somewhere in the midwest, then go meet the man who shook hands with Andy Griffith.
Sorry, I can't see this increasing people's reasons for coming here. It might be cool, and if tourists are already here, I'm sure they'd come see it, but this tipping them into the "Hey, let's go to San Francisco! They have a giant pink cloud!!" when choosing where to vacation? This I doubt.
but doesn't that count? more places to see / more places to spend money. In his district no less. And isn't it better we see if it works before we flush money down the toilet? I'm sure they did that for the bow and arrow...
I'm having a hard time getting riled up about this, can either you or TAYM help?
What does his prop, er, daughter think?
If we're doing floating public art I want a pirate ship or Spanish galleon using the Sutro Tower for masts and the fog bank as a sea....
As a gay, if you give me enough roughage I'll give you a weeks worth of pink clouds. For real & for free.
If the goal is to honor Harvey Milk, then I think it's reasonable to ask, as a city, would the former supervisor approve of this idea, its execution, and the city expenditure? WWHD?
If this is a submission to the Dumbest Idea Ever contest among the Sups, Bevan has absolutely won.
I think we should build a giant pink statue of Sister Boom-Boom. Tall enough to dwarf the Sutro Tower. We can put it in the the middle of the Castro-Market intersection and christen it with a sacrificial offering of Bevan Dufty.
Gotta say, the tourists seem more than happy enough taking pictures of the giant rainbow flag. A big pink cloud might actually confuse them and FOR THE LOVE OF GOD WHY IS A BROKE CITY EVEN TALKING ABOUT THIS???
I hate to be the Joan Crawford in the group, but initially the cloud would be pink, It'll probably be nicknamed the powder-puff, but after a while, with soot, pigeon shit, pollen, etc., it would pretty much start to look like the inside of a vacuum cleaner bag; then what? Or it could end up looking like the lint filter in my building's clothes dryer; the cha-chas that live here are all too regal to do menial thoughtful things such as cleaning after themselves. There's enough pubic hair in there to stuff a mattress.
And Bevan Dufty ; what can I say about him that hasn't already been said? Sheesh!
I love clouds and all but this is ricockulous.
Sister Boom Boom is immensely flattered by the suggestion in note #19, but would never endorse this sort of silliness. (Nor would I endorse the violence of kicking him in the dick, but if someone wants to switch the labels on his KY and Ben Gay I wouldn't object....)
We need money for schools and public health. Public art is wonderful, but first things first.
And even if we could afford the fluff, a pink cloud seems to signify reducing queer consciousness to trivial carnival distraction. European cities honor their history by preserving historical integrity and letting visitors see things as the way they were. The American urge to turn everything into some sort of Disneyland craphole tourist trap that sh--s and paves over historical truth should offend people who really care about Harvey's message and everything he was about.
God bless you Sister
Art work, no biggie, but paying the PUC $9500 for a study is retarded. Although, this is the same city who pays hundreds of thousands in nationwide searches for department heads, so i'm not totally shocked.
This won't attract tourists anymore than what the Castro already does. Sounds cool, but if you are a politician, you don't need to appeal to people who will already vote for you, you need the swing voters. In this case, you don't need to attract more people to LGBT art in a area which is already the mecca for LGBT everything since they would be there anyway.
That $9500 is done and spent. I'd be very curious to see who on the PUC voted to spend it (I bet all of them), although I'm also willing to bet they're given a budget each year (that's probably out of their hands) to divvie as they see fit.