Chinatown - Group B - Rhiannon

For my section of the Chinatown project, I am focusing on the destruction and rebuilding of Chinatown after the 1906 earthquake and subsequent fire.  Chinatown survived the actual earthquake somewhat well, but was almost entirely consumed by the firebreak explosions set off to save the nearby Financial District.  Firefighters ran out of dynamite to level the buildings near Kearny, so when they used black gunpowder instead, the wind carried the flames into the previously spared Chinatown.

After the fire, the official death count never even included the Chinese in San Francisco.  It was only estimated much later that 3,000 residents of Chinatown were killed.  My project will focus on that inconsistency and the struggle for Chinatown's residents to reclaim their homes and businesses after the fire.

Chinatown after the fire  1906

Chinese Camp after the fire.  Residents were blocked by the National Guard from returning to their homes and businesses as they were looted.  They were under order to shoot any residents that tried to sneak back to reclaim their belongings.

Rebuilt Chinatown

Port/Waterfront, Group D, Yixin

Attraction
Yixin Yuan

Through research, I am interested in San Francisco waterfront attraction. People come from all over the world to travel San Francisco. Because San Francisco has great place to visit, that place is waterfront. Water surrounds San Francisco on three sides, but the shoreline between the Golden Gate and Bay bridges gets all the attention. There are many attractions. Very year millions people come to visit SF, I maybe design some product that can help visitor more easy to travel SF.

Port/Waterfront, Group D, Tabitha

Tabitha Taraya 

    Although the Port is integral to the history and identity of San Francisco, the City has grown apart from its waterfront despite expanding towards it. This is mainly due to the Port’s almost singular function as a place of industry within a de-industrializing environment. Having reached its height of maritime activity during World War II, the need for the Port’s facilities have been in decline as bridges had been built, technological innovations made in the shipping industry, in addition to, struggling with competition both neighboring and foreign. 

    Meanwhile, the Port of San Francisco is expected to contribute to city and state-wide interests without financial assistance from either as a public agency responsible for maintaining its own 7 1/2 miles of shoreline. Interests of which often conflict with the ability to improve the situation from decline. Furthermore, previous attempts to develop and reunite with the City have proven ineffective and resulted in even more set backs. Thus, we have arrived at the current Waterfront Land Use Plan adopted in order re-strategize its use and functions; in hopes to “alter the course of history at the Port.”

    For my project I plan to create a kit for navigating through the Port’s past attempts at gentrification towards the future. The kit will be complete with an abridged copy of the current Plan, a sort of old Sanborn map that will layer the past plans of redevelopment, a log book detailing these past plans, along with, a few tools for recording and mapmaking reminiscent in aesthetic to maritime navigational devices.

Images of old Sanborn Maps

Maritime logbook and navigational devices

I

Port/Waterfront, Group D, Steven

The Worker

Steven Soundara 

For my project, I plan to investigate the evolution of the port workers’ clothing from the port’s inception to modern day. Work clothes have long since been an influence in the clothes that everyday people wear, with many styles having been appropriate from their original context to an entirely different context. I plan to approach this project with a fine art sensibility. My piece with have an informational research component as well as a textile and materiality component in the finished project. 

03 March 2012

 

Port/Waterfront, Group D, Stephanie

Progress: Project Semi-Final

The area that I have decided to focus on has been changing before my very eyes. Recent  construction scaffolding on the facade of the building has partially obstructed the doorway which I am focusing my painting on. Therefore, I have decided to work with the circumstances and interpret the gentrification as an adaptive situation. Originally I had planned on leaving the painting in front of the door which I was abstracting -- but now I will place it on the temporary construction cut out door (beige) to the right of the door. The painting will be unframed but hung like a gallery setting on the beige doorway. A photo--similar to this--will be taken as the final representation of my product... a picture within a picture.

Building Facade

Building Door 

(The painting will hang on the beige temporary door to the right of the actual door.
I will try to get the best possible crop of the area at both a micro and macro scale).

Door in Context
(Passersby barely notice or seem to care about the change happening to the area)

Progress: Project Update

For my project I will be delivering 3 items: A) Map B) Painting C) Booklet. The purpose of having three items is to create a composite picture of what the area entails in geographic terms at various scales from macro to micro. The maps is the most comprehensive mean of way-finding for all of the class groups (every single street is represented), the painting provides a personal interpretation of a choice scene (old steel factory door), and the booklet is a smaller and more in depth representation (personal photographs) of first hand images taken from the area during my exploration: most images are about desolation and prevention of access.

The map (40"x40") will be silk screened on a gray/blue paper with a white metallic ink. It can also be used as a catalog cover or exhibition poster. The painting (12"x16") is made with oil colors on white canvas and will ideally be hung in creative way, and the booklet (4"x6") will be displayed next to the painting on a podium as a printed object.

Progress: Painting 02

Progress: Painting Inspiration

 Progress: Map 02
 

Progress: Map 01

Progress: Painting 01

  Progress: Map 00

Progress: Painting 00

Invisible Lines

The Port/Waterfront of San Francisco has varied intentions and uses. Mostly advertised as a tourist area, few appreciate or realize its industrial past. The China and India Basins were the crux of commerce and social interaction since the 1860s’ - yet their impact today is marginal as their access is minimal.Through a series of maps, I intend to reveal both the seen and unseen borders within this once-thriving area to help reestablish its presence. A poster series identifies invisible borders within the macro & micro zones of San Francisco. Poster 1: San Francisco | Then & Now,  Poster 2: San Francisco | Neighborhoods, Poster 3: San Francisco | Port/Waterfront Uses, Poster 4: San Francisco | India/China Basin Access.

Sketch of poster series proposal

Illusionary Lines

The San Francisco shoreline has an infamous reputation as a world-class landscape, yet the neighboring area of India Basin contains a much richer history beyond superficial beauty. The industrial area – first created in 1868 – developed as a port zone shortly after the Gold Rush era. Although human presence and commerce have significantly dwindled since its heyday, the shoreline still contains remnants of the past. Despite changes in time and context, the area houses abandoned industrial facilities located on prime shoreline with no public access to their historic San Francisco past.

Why is an area that once held so much value not being embraced by the San Francisco community? How is it that an area built on man made resources was responsible for commerce of the most precious natural resources? When will this area be ready for change?

Through graphic cartography I intend to highlight the shifts in usages, stakeholders, and topographies of the India Basin area to better understand it’s past – and hopefully where its future could be.

Map of original shoreline (1852) versus modern shoreline (1988)

RISING TIDES

Stephanie Szabo

The San Francisco water line has changed dramatically over the course of its history due to landfill. Whether by natural or man made forces, the perimeter continues to encroach in an ever charged battle over the coastal terrain. Via traditional silk screen print methods, I intend to showcase how these lines are interacting through overlapping layers of ink, what elements are converging over time, and what the future implications might be.

USGS map of where landfill is (original marshes = blue) (waste = pink)

Japanese topographic map of salt flats and seismic hazards

Chinatown, Rhiannon

Chinatown group, update from Jackilyn

Financial District

 

History and today. 

 

 

Anna Maciel: Looking into the urban environment and its impact on human interaction within the space. 

Tenderloin

Tenderlon District History

Victoria is researching History of Nightlife attractions

Greg is researching the way the Media is coloring the neighborhood

Eva is researching the personalities that are apart of the TL community

Chinatown, Group B, Tatiana

I continue to explore daily activities of the local Asian community in San Francisco's "Chinese Island". Here are some pictures that I've selected after today's crit.