The Arts Commission Brings Peace to the City for the New Year
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media contact: Jill Manton, 415.252.2585, jill.manton@sfgov.org
Photos available on request
Tony Labat, Big Peace IV, in Hayes Valley
Luis R. Cancel, Director of Cultural Affairs of the San Francisco Arts Commission, is delighted to announce the installation of Big Peace IV, a temporary sculptural installation by San Francisco artist Tony Labat. The sculpture is on view at Patricia’s Green on Octavia Boulevard in Hayes Valley from December 29, 2008 through June 2009. With this installation, the San Francisco Arts Commission brings hope for peace to the City in the New Year.
Big Peace IV is Labat’s fourth sculptural interpretation of the famous peace sign. The ten-foot diameter painted steel sculpture was created specifically for the Arts Commission in commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the symbol’s creation. The Arts Commission is pleased by the opportunity to bring this project to fruition after another version of the sculpture was proposed by former San Francisco Arts Commission President Stanlee Gatti ten years ago. Commissioner Jeannene Przyblyski, whose idea it was to resurrect the exhibition of the peace sign stated, “We knew this would be a good project for San Francisco and we wanted to give it another chance. With this sculpture, the City of San Francisco and the Hayes Valley community celebrate the New Year with wishes of peace for the City and throughout the world.” The temporary installation of Big Peace IV is funded by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s Art Enrichment Reserve.
The iconic image was first seen 50 years ago on a chilly Good Friday as thousands of British citizens set off from London’s Trafalgar Square on a 50-mile march in protest against the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment at Aldermaston. Created by artist and World War II conscientious objector Gerald Holtom, the symbol itself is a combination of naval semaphore signals for the letters “N” and “D,” standing for Nuclear Disarmament. The symbol was quickly adopted in the United States when a friend of Martin Luther King Jr., Bayard Rustin, began using it during civil rights marches. Deliberately never copyrighted, and free for all to use, the symbol remains an international image of peace and non-violence.
Tony Labat was born in Cuba and came to the United States at the age of 15. He received a BFA (1978) and an MFA (1980) from the San Francisco Art Institute, where he has taught since 1985. Labat is known for his unique work that encompasses various genres, including performance, video, sculpture and installation. His new work continues to investigate the body, popular culture, identity, urban relations, politics, and the media.
About the San Francisco Arts Commission and the Public Art Program
Established by charter in 1932, the San Francisco Arts Commission is the City agency that champions the arts in San Francisco. Led by the belief that a creative cultural environment is essential to the City’s well-being, the Arts Commission programs permeate all aspects of City life. Programs include: Civic Art Collection, Civic Design Review, Community Arts & Education, Cultural Equity Grants, Public Art, SFAC Gallery, Street Artist Licensing, and Summer in the City Concert Series.
The Arts Commission’s Public Art Program was established by City ordinance in 1969, as one of the first of its kind in the country. The Public Art Program seeks to promote a diverse and stimulating cultural environment to enrich the lives of the city’s residents, visitors and employees. The Program encourages the creative interaction of artists, designers, city staff, officials and community members during the design of City projects in order to develop public art that is specific to the site and meaningful to the community.
RSS Feed