If you live in San Francisco, then chances are you never go to Fisherman’s Wharf, which is more of a tourist destination than anything else. I hadn’t been there in years, until a couple of weeks ago when Telstar Logistics threw a party aboard the S. S. Jeremiah O’Brien on Pier 45.
On the way back from the party I wandered around Fisherman’s Wharf a bit, shooting some photos and I came across a street artist doing some amazing spray paint art for a crowd of tourists. He put on a quite a show, painting to the music and he even finnishing off the painting with a burst of flame from one of his cans. If anyone knows who this artist is, let me know and I’ll update this post.
Walking back to my car, I remembered that there was one other thing in Fisherman’s Wharf worth checking out, the only In-N-Out Burger in San Francisco is located there (see my previous post on In-N-Out Burger). I found the restaurant, ordered a Double-Double, Animal Style and then I sent out a Twitter message saying that Fisherman’s Wharf was like being in another country. Web geek Terry Chay, a San Francisco resident who actually lives in Fisherman’s Wharf, Twitter stalked me, showing up at the In-N-Out Burger. We talked about social networks and other various things, before I left to return to my home country.
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I don’t know the name of that specific spray paint artist, but I do know that there are similar artists in Austin on 6th street during the weekends. They’ve been performing/painting there for at least 5 years.
So I guess it’s a new-ish genre of street vendor art!
I remember guys w/ spray cans painting in Fisherman’s wharf about 15 even 20 years ago. They’d spray planets and abstract worlds w/ their cans…it was both performance and visual painting mixed. I think this guy is just where this art form has evolved over the past several decades.
I envision an alternate reality composed entirely of places no native would ever set foot in – Fisherman’s Wharf, The Statue of Liberty and the Hollywood Sign would be the centerpiece….
My brother and I watched a spraypaint guy near the Metreon for about 1/2 hour… He had a bunch of paintings of sunsets and spacescapes for sale while he worked frantically on a single painting. Odd thing was, this entire time he never seemed to make any headway. Not even close.
Either this guy spends 6 hours per painting (unlikely given the prices), or someone else paints them and he just puts on a show while he sells them.
Anyone know if they all work like this, or if this guy is just the talentless exception?
It is the diversity of artists like spray paint guy that I miss living in the Bay Area. Whipping out paintings in 10 – 30 minutes using a variety of throw away items, such as paper plates, or cans or cardboard to create the appropriate shapes needed for the scene.
Whenever friends and family would come to town, I enjoyed taking them to Fisherman’s Wharf for the sites, but also these spray paint artists.
Thanks for these pictures, definitely a reminder of good times past.
Scott – you’re missing the really interesting part of the neighborhood, more toward Ft Mason. Heck, I was just there yesterday after work for a swim. When it is open, I highly recommend the Maritime museum, and if you’re in the area before 6, ring the bell at the Dolphin club and have a look around — great photos and history (South End, too). Walk out on the pier – great views. If you go past Ft Mason, there’s a great thing called the “Wave Organ” – visit at a flood (not slack, boooooring).
jennconspiracy I’m very familiar with the Wave Organ. I wasn’t saying that there isn’t anything interesting there, my point was that the area is mostly filled with tourists and that hardly anyone I know who lives in San Francisco ever goes there, which was what makes it feel like you are not even in San Francisco.
Those spray paint guys are in new york as well. I was really floored the first time I saw one but now i think there must be some kind of vocational program that churns them out or something after seeing so many.
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