Celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge, International Orange — named in honor of the unique paint color of the span — offered fresh perspectives on an enduring landmark. This exhibition at Fort Point presented new work by contemporary artists responding to the bridge as icon, historic structure, and conceptual inspiration.
The 16 contributing artists approached the bridge with diverse and distinctively individual aesthetics, materials, and points of view. Some investigated the bridge’s history — real or imagined — while others contemplated the natural history of the environment around it, exploring the conditions of water and weather particular to the Golden Gate. Some conveyed the grandeur of this monumental structure; others documented the everyday details that bring it down to human scale. Many works considered a combination of these factors, either directly or metaphorically.
Fort Point, the setting for International Orange, has stood at the entrance to San Francisco Bay since 1861. Although it is now literally overshadowed by the Golden Gate Bridge, the Civil War–era fort is a compelling location in itself, with arresting architecture and an intriguing history. While the bridge was the central focus of the exhibition, the artworks on view were developed specifically for installation at the fort, and the interplay between these two historic structures enriched the experience of the exhibition as a whole.
International Orange was organized by the FOR-SITE Foundation in partnership with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and the National Park Service.
- Anandamayi ArnoldFiesta Queens
- Mark Dion and Dana SherwoodEncrustations
- Bill FontanaAcoustical Visions of the Golden Gate Bridge
- Andy FreebergGatekeepers
- Doug HallChrysopylae
- Courtney LainSea Vision T.V.
- David LiittschwagerOne Cubic Foot: Life Under the Golden Gate Bridge
- Abelardo MorellVertigo and Tent Camera Photographs
- Cornelia ParkerReveille
- Kate PocrassAverage — The Golden Gate Edition
- Jeannene PrzyblyskiK-BRIDGE
- Allison SmithFort Point Bunting and Trench Art
- Stephanie SyjucoThe International Orange Commemorative Store (A Proposition)
- Camille UtterbackSpan
- Pae Whitemuhf-uhl
Related Media
- Video: Inside International Orange
- Installation Views
Anandamayi Arnold, Fiesta Queens, 2012 (installation view); photo: Ben Blackwell
Mark Dion and Dana Sherwood, Encrustations, 2012 (installation view); photo: Jan Stürmann
Bill Fontana, Acoustical Visions of the Golden Gate Bridge, 2012 (installation view); photo: Jan Stürmann
Andy Freeberg, Gatekeepers, 2012 (installation view); photo: Ben Blackwell
Doug Hall, Chrysopylae, 2012 (installation view); photo: Ben Blackwell
Courtney Lain, Sea Vision T.V., 2012 (installation view); photo: Ben Blackwell
David Liittschwager, One Cubic Foot: Life Under the Golden Gate Bridge, 2012 (installation view); photo: Ben Blackwell
Abelardo Morell, Vertigo, 2012 (installation view); photo: Ben Blackwell
Abelardo Morell, Tent Camera Photographs, 2012 (installation view); photo: Ben Blackwell
Cornelia Parker, Reveille,, 2010 (installation view); photo: Jan Stürmann
Kate Pocrass, Average—The Golden Gate Edition, 2012 (installation view); photo: Ben Blackwell
Jeannene Przyblyski, K-BRIDGE: Radio That Spans the Golden Gate, 2012 (installation view); photo: Ben Blackwell
Allison Smith, Fort Point Bunting, 2012 (installation view); photo: Ben Blackwell
Allison Smith, Trench Art, 2012 (installation view); photo: Ben Blackwell
Stephanie Syjuco, The International Orange Commemorative Store (A Proposition), 2012 (installation view); photo: Ben Blackwell
Camille Utterback, Span, 2012 (installation view); photo: Ben Blackwell
Pae White, muhf-uhl, 2012 (installation view); photo: Ben Blackwell - In the Press
