The 45-foot-tall unclothed female statue has drawn many eyes, for better or worse.
A giant sculpture was recently unveiled on the Embarcadero, shouldering San Francisco’s controversial futurist public toilet (which continues to have problems). The massive monolith is made entirely of metal—bent and twisted steel rods fabricated into a larger-than-life biped.
Created by artist Marco Cochrane, the public art piece was erected along the San Francisco Embarcadero this week to celebrate “feminine strength and empowerment.” Given the state of bodily autonomy and outright misogyny, it’s a fitting nod; allyship amongst the marginalized—a particular cohort of humanity that seems to be expanding with each passing day—is essential.
The sculpture, however, isn’t novel. Keen onlookers and passing “burners” experienced a fit of deja vu Thursday evening when it was debuted; the metallic monument first debuted at Burning Man circa 2015. And though the base weighs around 13,000 pounds with the steel anchoring plate, adding an additional 16,000 pounds.
Constructed from fabricated steel rod and tubing, the statue features two layers of geodesic triangles and is covered by stainless steel mesh, all of which combine to manipulate space and light to convey a sense of solidity. (Most angles show the sculpture appearing as a solid, non-porous mass, but in reality, the statue is more akin to metallic lattice work than a marble-cut monolith.)
According to project organizers, the sculpture symbolizes “feminine strength and empowerment.” But obviously, such a polarizing piece of art was bound to produce controversy.
The obvious pushback was from, say, more boomer-age mindsets and those unappreciative of the human form. Posts on social media sites like Meta (of course), X (well, duh), and Instagram showed people unsettled by the large naked woman; a common consensus was that the structure isn’t “kid friendly” along the otherwise family-friendly Embarcadero.
And then there’s the whole patriarchal irony of it all: the artist behind the gargantuan nude woman is, of course, a man, which, to some, seems like an uncanny, uncomfortable (and ironic) example of how men capitalize on objectifying women.
Regardless of which side of the adoration vs abomination opinion one falls, San Francisco now two sets of Twin Peaks.
Feature image: Courtesy of Instagram via [at]cbrulee
