Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
drawings, models, and design
objects, and to examine and
illuminate their influences on
modern art. Its current holding
of over 4,000 items focuses on
architecture, furniture, product
design and graphic design.
Among items on display in
the second-floor
galleries are models,
drawings, prints and
prototypes by well-
known and emerging
designers. These
include the famous architect
Bernard Maybeck, who was
responsible for some of the
most beautiful buildings in the
Bay Area, including the Palace
of Fine Arts
(see p62)
. Other
noted San Francisco Bay Area
architects represented are
Timothy Pflueger, William
Wurster, William Turnbull and
Willis Polk, known for his
design of the glass and steel
Halladie Building
(see p47)
, as
well as the California
design team of Charles
and Ray Eames.
Fumihiko Maki, Frank
Lloyd Wright and Frank
Gehry have all exhibited
in the permanent
collections. There are
also regular,
museum-
sponsored
programs in the
Design Lecture
Series and the
Architectural Lecture Series.
photographers of the 1920s,
and European Surrealists
of the 1930s.
California Arts
On the second and fifth floors
there are works by California
artists. These painters and
sculptors have drawn their
inspiration from local
materials and scenes to create
an influential body of art that is
unique to the West Coast.
Important Bay Area Figurative
painters include Elmer Bishoff,
Joan Brown and David Park, and
there is a significant collection
by Richard Diebenkorn.
Collage and assemblage artists
exhibited from the museum's
collection include Bruce Connor,
William T. Wiley and Mission
District resident Jess. The use of
everyday materials such as felt-
tip pen, junkyard scrap and old
paintings, has produced art
with a distinctive West
Coast flavor.
Michael Jackson and Bubbles
(1988)
by Jeff Koons
Graham, Peter Campus, Joan
Jonas, Bill Viola, Doug Hall and
Mary Lucier.
Photography
Drawing on its permanent
collection of over 12,000
photographs, the museum
presents a historical survey of
the photographic arts. A rotat-
ing display of photographs is
housed in the third-floor
galleries. The collection
of Modernist American
masters includes
Berenice Abbott,
Walker Evans,
Edward Steichen
and Alfred
Stieglitz, with special
attention paid to
California
photographers
Edward Weston,
John Gutmann,
Imogen Cunningham and
Ansel Adams. There are also
collections from Japan, Latin
America and Europe, including
German avant-garde
Contemporary Art and
Special Exhibitions
Gallery space on the third and
fourth floors is reserved for
special exhibitions. Included
among these are displays of
newly acquired gifts and
purchases for the permanent
collection, and around ten
traveling exhibitions per year.
An actively changing schedule
of contemporary art exhibits
supplements the museum's
historical collection and does
much to encourage today's
art scene.
Graphite to
Taste
(1989) by
Gail Fredell
Media Arts
The Department of Media
Arts on the fourth floor was
established in 1987. It collects,
conserves, documents and
exhibits art of the moving
image, including works in
video, film, projected image,
electronic arts and time-based
media. The galleries have
state-of-the-art equipment
to present photographic, multi-
image and multimedia works,
film, video and selected
programs of interactive
media artwork.
The museum's growing
permanent collection includes
pieces by accomplished artists
such as Nam June Paik, Don
Cave, Tsankawee, Mexico
(1988) photographed by Linda Connor
