Tag Archives: San Francisco Public Library

Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here: In Defense of Culture

Posted on December 28, 2016 by

I was at the at the Library to check out the Dada exhibits, and it turned out there was also a display of prints in response to the 2007 bombing of Al-Mutanabbi Street, the book sellers district in Baghdad. There were … Continue reading →

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The Most Dada Thing: Neo-Dada in San Francisco & Dadamatic Mail Art from Irene Dogmatic’s collection

Posted on December 27, 2016 by

I’m not sure I understand or know enough about Dada to fully explain it to someone else, but I feel like I have a general sense of it to usually be able to recognize whether something is Dada or Dada-influenced. … Continue reading →

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Letters to Myself: The Calligraphic First Day Covers of Alan A. Blackman

Posted on October 11, 2015 by

Pretty sure I’d heard of this close to when it opened, then was reminded about it by Jennie’s great post, but of course didn’t make it until just now as it’s about to close. (The original date was through today, … Continue reading →

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San Francisco Public Library – Main Library

Posted on November 7, 2014 by

I have mixed feelings about this post. Part of what made my first visit to the Main Branch of the San Francisco Public Library so amazing was that I had no idea what it was going to be like. So … Continue reading →

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Functional and Fantasy Stair and Cyclone Fragment

Posted on October 29, 2014 by

I was up on the sixth floor of the San Francisco Public Library to check out the BookWorks exhibit, and then noticed a sculpturey thing which turned out to also be a staircase that led down to the fifth floor … Continue reading →

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Untitled

Posted on October 27, 2014 by

I have a soft spot for card catalogs. Not just nostalgia or resistance to technology, but an appreciation for a functional tool and its physical manifestation. Looking up a particular book, and using that as a starting point to browse … Continue reading →

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Constellation

Posted on October 26, 2014 by

Constellation is a site-specific work by artist Nayland Blake, commissioned for the Main Branch of the San Francisco Public Library. It’s an integral element of the central atrium, rising five stories with the grand staircase. From a distance it gives … Continue reading →

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