This building recently appeared on the "Vote for SF's Ugliest Building" poll page at SF Curbed website. It received 11 votes, and was far behind the other other truly ugly buildings. Is it ugly? You Decide.
For comparison purposes, here's a painted version of the Aztec Calendar at the intersection of 24th & Alabama Streets.
Ok, one of those Wikipedia things...it's ever so useful, except when your name is Greg Brown and there are 13 entries on the Greg Brown Disambiguation Page. The Greg Brown in today's post has the barest of stub, and I secretly hoped that Greg Brown-Folk Musician b. 1949, was the same as Greg Brown of Palo Alto mural fame. Apparently, they are two different Wikipedia entries because they are no less than two different people.
Today's Greg Brown is a muralist known for his Trompe L'oeil murals Pedestrian Series 1976. Here are the last few shots before the camera died.
Bank Robbers Mishap
formerly WaMu Bank
300 Hamilton Avenue @ Bryant St
Trompe l'oeil murals, French for 'deceive the eye', are paintings that create an illusion that fool or trick the eye. Wikipedia does a little better explaining Trompe L'oeil as
"an art technique involving extremely realistic imagery in order to create the optical illusion that the depicted objects appear in three dimensions."
Man in Window Sawing Elevator Cables
Office Building Foyer
261 Hamilton Avenue
As you might expect, this is situated
directly above an actual elevator
Boy with Fishing Pole Stuck on Window Grate
Hamilton Station Post Office
380 Hamilton Avenue @ Bryant Street
The window and metalwork exactly match
a real window next to this trompe l'oeil bit.
City of Palo Alto Press Release: Muralist Greg Brown Restores One of His Whimsical Murals in Downtown (Man Pushing Cat in Stroller) 8-27-2010
