Local sculptor Marco Cochrane has identified a new San Francisco location for his towering art piece.
Petaluma sculptor Marco Cochrane wanted it to happen. The struggling retail businesses in and around San Francisco’s Union Square plaza wanted it to happen. The nonprofit Union Square Alliance, which organized the project, definitely wanted it to happen. And the city’s recreation and parks department wanted it to happen.
But as of this week, it’s not happening – at least, not as initially planned.
The 45-foot-high Burning Man sculpture officially named “R-Evolution,” and more commonly referred to as “the naked woman,” was to have been installed where the iconic Union Square Christmas Tree stands every year. A fair amount of money, time and effort had already been spent on preparing the statue for its trip from Petaluma to the City. A huge celebration, with a marching band, Burning Man entertainment and a full bar had even been scheduled for early February, and then temporarily postponed.
Now, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, it seems the project has been permanently canceled. Due to an engineering issue – related to the weight of the structure, estimated to be a total of 15 tons including its steel anchoring plates – “R-Evolution” was determined to be too heavy for the historic tile foundation of Union Square’s plaza.
The Chronicle article quotes Shannon Riley, who works with Building 180, the arts management company that manages Cochrane’s creative endeavors, saying that efforts are on to find a new space for the piece in San Francisco, with Embarcadero Plaza the most probable choice.
The San Francisco Art Commission is scheduled to consider the matter at a meeting on March 3.
Meanwhile, with Union Square shopping-centered businesses already hurting from reduced tourism to the area, the loss of the project – which was expected to draw large numbers of visitors – is surely a bit of a gut punch. According to Riley, the search is on for other artworks that could be brought there, perhaps sculptures that weigh a bit less – with or without clothes.
David Templeton is the Community and Arts & Entertainment Editor of the Petaluma Argus-Courier. You can reach him at david.templeton@arguscourier.com.
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