So that Einstein throwing dice piece on Upper Haight from a few weeks ago might not have been a Banksy after all.

29 06 2010

I remember there was some debate at the time whether or not that Einstein throwing dice stencil on Upper Haight from a few weeks ago was really done by Banksy. It was a really beautifully executed piece that seemed to jive with Banksy’s wit and it materialized during a period when the British street artist was passing through town and did several other high profile pieces in San Francisco. However, it wasn’t featured on his site, which led to some speculation that the stencil might have been done by someone else.

I’m still receiving traffic on a daily basis from search engines looking for “Banksy Einstein Haight” so I don’t know if it’s in my best interest to clarify that debate, especially since that Einstein stencil lasted less than a week before being painted over and some of Banksy’s original pieces have sold for over half a million dollars so I feel like I captured something that’s unique and priceless.

But I just discovered that there’s a new stencil at that same location.

Not Banksy Thinker on Upper Haight

Auguste Rodin’s The Thinker on his porcelain throne? That’s a great mashup of highbrow and lowbrow culture.

Does anyone know who is the artist of this piece? If so, please let me know in the comments. I love his or her style and sense of humor.





2nd Annual Michael Jackson Flashmob Tribute. Ferry Building Plaza, San Francisco. June 25, 2010. FREE.

26 06 2010

You know it’s a good sign when Frank Chu, PLANT TREES, and D. Miles Jr. are all there at the start of your party, along with half a dozen other unique San Francisco icons that I recognize but don’t have their urls. All the planets were in perfect alignment for this one.

There was a moment where Deep took the microphone and was teasing all the people on the steps of the tower for not participating. “C’mon, all you bloggers. It’s OK to dance” But it’s true. A year ago the steps to the tower were filled with skaters. Now it’s all bloggers.

Video courtesy of Kevin Syoza

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Reaching out for something to hold. Looking for a love where the climate is cold. Smoking guns hot to the touch. Would cool down if we didn’t use them so much. We’re soul alone and soul really matters to me.

22 06 2010

OK. Here’s my pitch –

Morgan Freeman is this ninja cyborg from a dystopian future where angry whales rule the world. He had his arm bit off by a dolphin in Vietnam and now he spends his time as a private investigator in Hawaii where he devotes one hour each week to having adventures and helping people with their problems. Ernest Borgnine is this one eyed, salt of the earth, sailor type that’s the Higgins of the team.

Oh! And it’s animated too! But in this retro Heavy Metal meets Yellow Submarine psychedelic style.

There.

Now put that on my car.

morgan freeman 1

magnum pi 3

I’m just going to keep parking my magnum opus on your block till Hollywood starts returning my calls.

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The Choose Your Own Adventure Bus





First Annual Burning Man Pre-Compression. San Francisco. June 19, 2010.

21 06 2010

First Annual Burning Man Pre-Compression. San Francisco. June 19, 2010. 1

I really love that dogmatic cult icon.

The first thing I do once I win the lottery is buy me a Burning Man. I know a lot of people would consider that blasphemy, but that’s part of what makes it the holy grail of collectable action figures. I must have one for my living room.

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2nd Annual Sunset Music and Arts Picnic. June 13, 2010. Treasure Island. FREE.

14 06 2010

2nd Annual Sunset Music and Arts Picnic. June 13, 2010. Treasure Island. FREE 3

2nd Annual Sunset Music and Arts Picnic. June 13, 2010. Treasure Island. FREE 1

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2nd Annual Sunset Music and Arts Picnic. June 13, 2010. Treasure Island. FREE 23

2nd Annual Sunset Music and Arts Picnic. June 13, 2010. Treasure Island. FREE 31

2nd Annual Sunset Music and Arts Picnic. June 13, 2010. Treasure Island. FREE 36

Even though it’s been falling apart for decades now, Treasure Island is still a really fun place to explore. This is what the future is going to look like once the zombies take over and there aren’t any city workers or DHARMA Initiative left to maintain all of our monuments to excess.

In just a few years Treasure Island is going to look radically different. What a great excuse for San Francisco to go spend the day on this pocket of earth that is out of step with time right before it gets an urban facelift.

UPDATE # 1

Great video of ground zero footage from bird415

My favorite part is the kid on the speakers who’s far more interested in his gameboy than with anything that’s going on at the park party.

Seize the day, my friend.

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Do You Want Fries With That?

11 06 2010

I just finished reading Little Boxes: The Architecture of a Classic Midcentury Suburb and was kind of surprised to learn that Outer Sunset OG Henry Doelger was originally against Art Deco homes. He said that he always associated them with fast food joints, but when he was building his second empire in Daly City he was really turned on by what he called the “Fish n’ Chips” style of homes (It’s the pink one on the cover, the green one below it, and then check out the fucking killer living room money shot at the end.) and started to crank those out like nobodies business.

I thought that was a remarkable statement because whenever I look at Art Deco homes a part of me thinks of fast food as well and how often is it that you find yourself agreeing on something like modern architecture with someone who was born in 1896?

The Outer Sunset is a really unique living museum of Indestructible American Suburban Architecture and you can find some great Art Deco gems scattered about out here over here and there. I just discovered this guy the other day.

Do you want fries with that?

I’m really digging that top hat with the blue stripes.

A part of me is convinced that at any moment a Norman Rockwell era Betty will just zip up to me on these rad 1950s roller-skates and a uniform with a blue striped paper hat with my order of a burger, shake, and animal style fries.

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“That Don’t Match!”

8 06 2010

Somewhere along the line my girlfriend granted herself veto power over what I get to wear whenever we go out at night. If she feels like whatever I’m wearing is clashing she only has to say “That don’t match!” and either I have to change my outfit or if I try and argue the point my life becomes an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm.

“That don’t match!” has become one of our inside jokes, a catch phrase that perfectly sums up when we see anything that instinctively was not meant to be together. That phrase also happens to perfectly sum up this house that has the worst 3rd floor addition in The Outer Sunset and quite possibly all of San Francisco.

The Spirit of Carville still lives on. Ocean Beach, Outer Sunset SF 5

The Spirit of Carville still lives on. Ocean Beach, Outer Sunset SF 3

Oh. My. Lord.

It’s like a tsunami took one house and washed it onto the roof of another house.

It’s like Homer Simposn got wasted one week and built a tree fort for the kids on the roof of his house. And nobody stopped him.

This beauty is on or west of the 47th Ave parallel, where the houses get Twilight Zone weird out here and a part of me loves it for that. It’s a reminder that the spirit of Carville still lives on out here by the beach. You can hire Homer Simpson to build the most ridiculous addition to your home out here and No One Will Stop You.

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Critical Mass Bonfire. Ocean Beach, Outer Sunset. May 28, 2010. FREE.

29 05 2010

Critical Mass Bonfire. Ocean Beach, Outer Sunset. May 28, 2010. FREE 1

Critical Mass Bonfire. Ocean Beach, Outer Sunset. May 28, 2010. FREE 2

Or at least it was advertised as a Critical Mass Bonfire.

There was already well over a hundred people manning all of the Burning Man Bonfire Pits a good hour before sundown and before any of the riders showed up. After sundown most of the Critical Mass kids decided to stay up on the street with their open containers and get arrested. Welcome to the Sunset, hipster. Regardless, it was a glorious San Diego day at the beach; low-70s, no clouds, minimal winds, and lots of sun. What a perfect excuse for San Francisco to go hang out at the beach.

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The Brass Tax 4th Annual BTxGGPPwBC4. May 22 2010. Golden Gate Park. FREE.

24 05 2010

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Windy is my hero.

1) Girl with tennis racket and knee high tube socks? Check!
2) Dude with gold-plated mixtape necklace? Check!
3) Activate. Party. Now.

I love that dog.

The Brass Tax 4th Annual BTxGGPPwBC4. May 22 2010. Golden Gate Park. FREE 33

The Brass Tax 4th Annual BTxGGPPwBC4. May 22 2010. Golden Gate Park. FREE 2

And look at that, plenty of parking at 1PM. How beautiful is that?

I’m kind of biased since this is The Outer Sunset part of Golden Gate Park, but I really like this part of the park. This bend in particular reminds me a lot of postcards from Hawaii. Almost to the point of being a manmade reflection of what people think paradise is suppose to look like. That and the fact that I keep expecting to trip over Spock’s body from the end of Wrath of Khan whenever I go exploring out here.

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El Mac Van in The Mission.

19 05 2010

El Mac Van in The Mission

I stumbled across this gem in The Mission and was stoked beyond words. El Mac is one of my favorite street artists so whenever I come across one of his pieces it’s like discovering a Picasso in an Easter Egg hunt.

This is another one of his murals in the high traffic area of Haight and Fillmore.

elmac.net on Haight and Fillmore

And then there’s this one, also in SF, which I believe has already been covered up.

Such is the occupational hazard of temporary street art.

EL MAC

Photo courtesy of Troy Holden

El Mac does large scale pieces all over the planet. Here’s his Margulies piece in Miami, a collaboration with Retna

Photo courtesy of El Mac.net

That’s El Mac and Retna standing off on the left hand side.

The Knight in LA

Photo courtesy of El Mac.net

An amazing piece in Italy

Photo courtesy of El Mac.net

And then back to Miami.

Photo courtesy of El Mac.net

Hawaii

Photo courtesy of El Mac.net

VietNam

I love how kids in the Mission look exactly like kids in Vietnam when they are just hanging out and enduring some dork who is taking pictures around them.

Photo courtesy of El Mac.net

Ireland

Photo courtesy of El Mac.net

At 30-years-young, El Mac is still a really young artist and one of those people you want to keep your eye on.

The kid has a lot of talent and I think some of his best work is still ahead of him.

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