The specter of retail woes and flagging tourism have loomed over Union Square in recent years. Soon, a 48-foot-tall sculpture of a nude woman will loom over the shopping district too.
“R-Evolution” by Petaluma-based artist Marco Cochrane will rise over the plaza in early February and remain in place until May. The piece, which debuted at Burning Man in 2015, depicts a nude woman standing confidently, with extended arms and palms open. It is made of steel rod and tubing covered in stainless steel mesh.
The sculpture is “intended to challenge the viewer to see past the sexual charge that has developed around the female body, which has been used for power and control, to the human being,” according to the SF Arts Commission’s brief about the work, which was approved for installation near the square’s central Dewey Monument in August.
Cochrane modeled “R-Evolution” on Deja Solis, a California-based singer, dancer, and model. The sculpture is the third in his series “The Bliss Project,” which aims to ease the tension around female nudity.
The Italian-born and Berkeley-raised artist previously said that his first voyage to the Burning Man playa, in 2007, was a catalyst for the project, as he “noticed that women were walking around practically naked, and hardly anyone even cared,” he said in a video about the piece. “My mother was a feminist and handed off the torch to me about bringing feminine energy into the world.”
Since its appearance at Burning Man, the sculpture has made stops in Petaluma, Las Vegas, and, most recently, Miami Beach. Cochrane’s website lists the piece as available for sale or for lease.
Installing the 13,000-pound statue and its 16,000-pound steel anchor plate will take several days. Financial sponsorship of the public art comes from the Union Square Alliance, Building 180, and the Sijbrandij Foundation.
Locals may recognize Cochrane’s style from another public piece: a sculpture of a nude woman that reclines over the Central Freeway on 14th Street. Another statue, which depicts Deja Solis performing a Bliss Dance, spent several years on Treasure Island before being moved to the Las Vegas Strip.
Union Square Alliance CEO Marisa Rodriguez previously said she hoped “R-Evolution” would be “a positive conversation starter” and a “celebration of the strength and beauty of the female form.”
The beleaguered Union Square area has been betting on art and retail pop-ups to restore its vibrancy. Several installations recently launched on Powell Street, and an Oakland fashion designer took over a vacant storefront in December. Meanwhile, the city is hoping to launch a $6 million makeover of Powell that would include widened sidewalks and a big chandelier.
The Union Square Alliance will unveil “R-Evolution” on Feb. 6 with an afternoon event featuring a bar, food truck, and “Burning Man-inspired” music.
The gathering will include a march to the monthly Downtown First Thursdays event.