"Das Mann of Steel" in the News

I am sure you remember Passage, by Dan Das Mann and Karen Cusolito, which inhabited Pier 14 as the first piece of temporary art in that space, as part of BRAF's Civic Arts Program.

Dan, one of the sculptors is featured in the East Bay Express, check it out, Das Mann of Steel.

Congratulations Dan, it is always great to see art featured in the news!

Be sure and read Dan's response to the article, in the comments section of the article, in which he credits his co-sculptor Karen Cusolito.

photo: Scott Beale\Laughing Squid Laughing Squid

Hasta Luego "Passage"

"Passage", mother and child sculptures by artists Dan Das Mann and Karen Cusolito, have been gracing Pier 14 on the Embarcadero in San Francisco for 18 months. Passage created a lot of controversy. San Francisco Mayor, Gavin Newsom once said “Short-term public art projects can invigorate our public spaces with artworks that may be bolder, provocative and more topical than the permanent projects and…will allow the public to see their city and their surroundings in a new way”.



So now it is time for the next temporary sculpture to inhabit this space.

affinity

photo by: Bill Silent Chan (the photo was taken by a tourist from Hong Kong who was kind enough to take a photo and send it to me. Thank you Mr. Chan)

'Passage' Opening Dedication

June 16th marked the opening dedication of both Dan Das Mann and Karen Cusolito's sculpture, 'Passage', and the newly rennovated breakwater which is now a public access pier -- Pier 14 allows residents and visitors to San Francisco to walk some 637 feet out into the bay for 360 degrees of stunning views. Without the hard work, bood, sweat, and heart of everyone involved this installation could not have happened. Thanks to all! And congratulations to Dan and Karen, who celebrate both their first wedding anniversary and the first birthday of 'Passage' this weekend!


When 'Passage' was originally installed at Burning Man 2005, Event Founder, Larry Harvey, asked Artist, Dan Das Mann, why the mother and child sculptures were pointed toward the open playa and decidedly away from 'the Man', the effigy which is the namesake of the event. To which Dan replied that the sculptures were leaving Black Rock City, heading out to live their lives in the great big world beyond.


On June 16th the mother and child duo arrived, as if from the sea, on the San Francisco Waterfront!

To mark this momentous occasion, an SF fire boat, like a jubiliant whale, spouts water....


as residents and visitors to San Francisco take the first pubic walk on the newly dedicated Pier 14!

'Passage' Installation, Act Two

A crew of incredibly dedicated volunteers has been working (literally) day and night to complete the installation of 'Passage' on the SF Waterfront at Mission & Embarcadero. A huge thanks to the cast and crew who have made this feat possible!

Welders Phil and Steve, working on the base of the child figure.


Artist Karen Cusolito and key play Steve 23 consult over the mother's foot.


Rockstar Carpenters Monkey Boy and Brandon knock out the plinth base.


Work is still underway, but a familliar contour is starting to take shape.


The sculpture will open in conjunction with new public access pier (Pier 14) THIS FRIDAY, June 16th, on where Mission St. meets Embarcadero! An 11 a.m. Press Event (open to the public) will inaugurate the site and dedicate the new pier, a former breakwater. At 6 p.m. a Community Dedication with the artists will be followed by a No-Host Bar Reception at nearby Sinbad's. Pirate attire is, of course, optional!

YAAAR! See you there!

'Passage' Installation, Act One

The installation of 'Passage' has begun on the San Francisco Waterfront -- Embarcadero at Pier 14

Passage Site


Mother Figure


Artists Dan Das Mann and Karen Cusolito
gaining some perspective as one of the Mother's arms is attached.


Mother's arm deftly attached by core crew member Steve 23!

'Passage' prepares for Installation

That's right! Dan das Mann and Karen Cusolito's monolithic mother and child sculpture, originally created for last year's Burning Man event, 'Passage', has arrived in the East Bay where it is being re-furbished in preparation for temporary six month installation on the San Francisco Waterfront. The exhibition is part of a continuing model put forth by the Black Rock Arts Foundation to install temporary artworks throughout the city. The model hinged on the success of the the temple built last June in Hayes Green by David Best and the Temple Crew, and continued with an initative to bring five works of art originally created for, and debuted at, the Burning Man event between 2001 and 2005.

'Passage' will be installed on the Embarcadero (at Mission) during the second and third weeks of June. The piece will open in concert with the the opening of Pier 14, an old breakwater that has been transformed into a public access pier, on June 16th!

Join us at 6:00 p.m. for a public dedication before we walk over to Sinbad's for a no host reception from 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm to celebrate!

Pictured here is the headless child being prepared by Goat Man Dan for installation.

Make Way for 'Passage'

Now that 'Flock' has come down, it is of course, time to put a new installation in place. As part of the continuing effort to peppper our hometown of San Francisco with art first created for the Burning Man Festival in Nevada, we are pleased to bring you 'Passage,' by Dan Dasmann and Karen Cusolito. At the tail end of February Leslie, myself, and a whole host of supportive speakers paid a visit to the Port Authority in an effort to secure approval for the placement of this incredible sculpture along the San Francisco Waterfront! and... SUCCESS!!

'Passage' will be exhibited along the Embarcadero, just north of Pier 14 (roughly where Mission Street meets the Embarcadero), for a period of six months beginningin early June!! The dedication of 'Passage' is slated to coincide with the opening of Pier 14 as a new pedestrian access pier which will allow folks to walk several hundred feet out into the bay and view the piece from yet another perspective.

Those that remember this well-loved piece from the 2005 Burning Man event may be curious to know that the flame effects used in the desert WILL NOT be present as a part of this installation -- liquid fire and the bay waters just are not going to get along, nor are they going to get through the permitting process. That said, if you're curious about a few of the logisitcs surrounding the initial installation on the playa you may want to have a listen to the following Chronicle Podcast which captures an interview with the artists.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=5&entry_id=574