click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney
Whoopie ! It's "D"-Day on ABC Wednesday !
Last Saturday on a tip from one of my favorite blogs about San Francisco, www.whatimseeing.com I made a heartfelt visit to the Presidio Pet Cemetery, where military families lovingly put their pets to rest over the years. The half-acre pine-shaded plot is full of the memory of dogs, cats, hamsters, birds, fish, and reptiles. Gravemarkers are truly unique and expressive, reminding me that military people are just as caring about life and those they love as the rest of us...
If you would like to see more, please visit my new set of photos on this remarkable place, over at: www.photoarrow.com/big/14/14presidiopetcemetery.html.
SPECIAL EDITION -- "D"iego Rivera mural at San Francisco Art Institute
click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney
click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney
click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney
click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney
click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney
A week-and-a-half ago, on a whim, I stopped by the San Francisco Art Institute on Chestnut Street to snoop around -- it had been over 40 years since I had last visited.
It was early on a Saturday and I was the only person there, but the neatly dressed security guard let me freely wander around to snap some photos.
Off the open-arched Spanish style courtyard I entered the main gallery which was completely empty, as they were in the process of changing the exhibit, however one unchangeable wall holds a huge fresco assemblage by Diego Rivera, commissioned in 1931 by William Lewis Gerstle who was president of the San Francisco Art Association.
The colors are still vivid, and the overall impact of the mural is stunning! It was a real treat to be able to stand there and absorb the socially conscious work of the master -- Diego Rivera.
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Your comments are invited and welcome.
33 comments:
One can not help to smile at the first image and to be smitten by the artwork in the following images! Great job!
Cheers, Klaus
The first one was a masterpiece by you, and it gave rise to somewhat sad smile in me - especially given the context.
The other - here are obviously to masters been at work.
The mouse lived for long time, I think.
The murals are so powerful and full of depth.
I'm not sure why you are "totally" confused by the two ABC blogs.
Slightly confused I can understand.
The thing is there is never ONE WAY to please everyone.
The linky blog has the advantage of having the links all in a list and if you want to visit everyone then that is where you should go. Its disadvantage is that being just a list it gives undue prominence to those who post early and you have always to follow through to find what people have blogged about.
The no-comment blog has the advantage of assembling a whole group of posts together through which visitors can scroll and later posters don't get pushed out to the same degree. The disadvantage is that not every blogger wants or is able to cross-post in this way.
The two blogs complement each other and are not conflicting. No one is being forced to contribute to either.
It seems to me no more confusing than for example, the link on your post to three of your sites - just alternative places to go.
Wait and see if you are still confused after several weeks.
That mural must be an amazing sight.
And your choice of gravestone is very touching.
Dear Ackworth Born,
I KNEW I should have kept my mouth shut!
Best regards, and my apolgies, Don.
Terrific post - as a dog lover I really appreciated the doggy cementery but the murals are great too.
Thanks for those murals..they are just terrific...what a great post for us to share..and for your visit to my post too...I often bop past the doo wop deli ..and quite often after changing diapers!
Annie
I have visited the pet cemetary! You have taken beautiful images there! It is funny (dearest mouse...hhehehe) and bittersweet at the same time! Great!
And I love the frescos! Is is Frida Kahlo on the fourth pic? :)
Your photos of the Presidio pet cemetery are awesome.
Thank you for sharing that with us.
Bear((( )))
A very touching photo from the pet cemetery. And, of course, the Diego Rivera murals are awesome. What a great opportunity you had.
Loved both your D's! First one was very touching. And for an art-teacher -to-be of course I found the Rivera pics very intriguing! :) Great work!
I bopped over to your BIG site to see the rest of the Presidio Pet Cemetery photos. Thanks for taking them, and for sharing them with us.
The Diego Rivera murals are awe-inspiring. Thanks for that, too.
What a great picture that gravestone makes.. to go to ll the trouble... I was reminded of the film 'The Green Mile' and the little mouse in that film.
The paintings speak for themselves and are excellent.
Totally awesome as usual.
Thanks for the pet cemetery shots. When visitors came to town we always showed them this special little spot.
Diego Rivera is awesome. I'm glad that the mural is still so vivid after all the years.
the first photo is so perfect. ABC Wednesday
These are all fabulous Don. Thanks for the links too. I love it when a photographer opens up a city to us in this way.
I'm sorry too if I was bit OTT but your note gave me an excuse to try and explain why there were two blogs as it needed clarifying (not just for you).
For myself I only really get to looking at the linky after visiting those that visited me, then those that contributed to the no-comment blog but then I'm visiting other blogs in between anyway so rarely get to evreyone.
cheers and best wishes
thanks for the linkage, Don. now i will take a tip from you and go hit up those Diego's.
Diego River's art is marvellous! Thanks for sharing! It must have been great to be able to walk around with the place all to yourself!
The pet cemetery is a sweet thing for the loled little creatures to rest wen they're gone.
Kisses from Nydia.
This was a very interesting post. From one spectrum to another. I never knew the Presidio had a cemetary mucless a pet one. So I learned something today. I liked the art since that is my thing. I was a bit surprised they let you take photographs. When we went to Mt. Vernon, we were not allowed to take photos inside the house because it could make the original paintings and the walls fade or so they said. Thanks for your comments about my D is for... Don. You described him almost to a T!
I gree with Tom about the Green Mile.That's a very poignant image. The artwork is pretty amazing.
fantastic art work - it's very difficult to see such art in my little town!
The mouse has been immortalized around the World and Diego Rivera is already well known.
Nice post,
Troy
PS: the mural/fresco photos are great and the colors wonderful.
The mouse grave is so touching.Thank you for the kind comments on my blog. Michelle
Interesting post Mr. Duck. The little mouse headstone is so touching. Deigo Rivera and the lovely Frida are favorites of mine as well.
I like both of your D's...nice...
Your ABC Wednesday is wonderful. Thanks for enjoying the hydrangeas in my D post.
First image - sweet, poignant.
The mural - IMPRESSIVE. I must go see that next time I'm in SF.
Diego's mural is indeed stunning; I love it.
I too found the first image so humbling!
Trust you are clear about ABC Wednesday now.
Your choices for this post are delightful...the first one sweet and quirky and lovely, the second, fascinating art by Diego Rivera.
I'm glad you posted these shots because it's the first time I see them. The colors are amazingly crisp for a 70-year old mural (or is that Photoshop?). Great shots, thank you!
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