Matthew Passmore and Rebar Group – The Gigantry

Matthew Passmore and Rebar Group – Gigantry

[ARTIST BACKGROUND] Matthew Passmore is principal and co-founder of Rebar, a San Francisco based art and design studio. Rebar’s work is exemplified by their approach to creative reuse of materials reclaimed from the waste stream and the activation of sometimes forgotten pockets and niches within the public realm. In recent years Rebar has created a number of high-profile public art installations. The collaborative design team includes native-born San Franciscans as well as other members well-versed on the many community challenges surrounding the transformation of a military shipyard to a new neighborhood of green-energy industries surrounded by residential homes and parks.

[PROPOSED ARTWORK] Gigantry is foremost a climbing structure and architectural feature designed for safe, playful interaction with children of many ages. By referencing the formal characteristics of the Hunters Point Shipyard’s historic bridge crane, Gigantry samples a dominant visual element in the area’s historic infrastructure. The sculpture is to be climbed on and will comply with necessary safety standards and the American with Disabilities Act. Coated galvanized steel or possibly stainless steel will form the sculpture and it will rest on a resilient rubber ground surface and its aggregate substrate as required.

[ARTIST INSPIRATION] In the process of researching the history and culture of Hunters Point Shipyard, Rebar was struck by the area's most obvious and impressive landmark - the enormous gantry crane. To Rebar, the crane is a symbol of the historical military presence. Many people in the Bayview Hunters Point worked at the Shipyard and their work provided support for the young families. While more is today understood about the impact of the Shipyard, it is Rebar’s desire to symbolically recast the crane as a playful and interactive sculpture, and they hope to help visitors re-imagine the broader landscape of Hunters Point as an area that fosters thriving community, informal social interaction and fun.

[YOUTH INVOLVEMENT] Youth will pay a day long visit to Rebar’s Mission studio to learn about the various temporary and permanent creative initiatives with which Rebar is engaged and to observe and assist in the design or fabrication of the play sculpture itself. This will provide a unique behind-the-scenes view of this innovative studio and the creative process employed by them.