Floor 5: 5th Floor City Gallery (exiting Co-Lab)
Overview
Gallery Wayfinding
You are in the 5th Floor City Gallery. This is a long, narrow gallery that spans the entire length of the main galleries to your left, with three large windows along the right wall that look out to the rows of high-rise buildings in downtown San Francisco. You've entered the long narrow gallery from the middle, exiting the seating area of the Co-Lab space where the flooring has just changed from carpet to wood. This gallery contains the Co-Lab space, which is behind you, and framed prints by Sol Lewitt.
Immediately to your left is the entrance to the Sol LeWitt Gallery, and in front of you along the left and right walls are framed prints by Sol LeWitt. Continuing down the gallery, past the framed prints, is an entrance to the Ellsworth Kelly North Gallery on the left wall. Directly across from that entrance, on the right wall, is a staircase up to the 6th Floor. Past that entrance, there are more framed prints by Sol Lewitt on the right wall, and directly across on the left wall are two benches. At the far-front end of the gallery on the right wall is a staircase down to the 4th Floor. At the far-front end, following the left wall, you'll find yourself back at the 5th Floor Landing.
To get to the Alexander Calder Gallery, travel through the entire 5th Floor City Gallery and turn left. Walk past the elevators and 5th floor tactile map to get to the Alexander Calder Gallery.
Label
Artists Alexander Calder, Ellsworth Kelly, and Sol LeWitt created art based on simple elements like lines, shapes, and colors. While they each planned their work carefully, they often left room for surprises along the way.
In this space, you can work the same way these artists did—by observing closely, trying things out, and seeing what happens. Jump in and explore! Visionary support for Co-Lab is provided by Fisher Art Foundation.
Major support is provided by Deborah and Kenneth Novack.
Meaningful support is provided by Sarah and Jason DiLullo and
Jane Kim and Jung Min.
Co-Lab Rules:
- Stick together! Children should always stay with a trusted adult.
- Be a good collaborator. Use your inside voice and share materials with others.
- Save snacks for later. No food or drinks in Co-Lab or the galleries.
- Use walking feet. No running, please!
- Keep a clean studio. Please tidy up after you finish creating.
- Take your paper sculpture home but leave other supplies for the next artist.
Objects
3 objects in the order you'll encounter them from this entrance. Select an object to view details.
Artwork Label Text
1982
Etchings and aquatints, ed.15/25
The Doris and Donald Fisher Collection at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Acquired by the Fisher family, 1988
Visual Description
A series of twenty-four grayscale aquatint-and-etching prints, each about the size of a small, square wall poster and individually framed, represents various geometric solids created by removing different sections of a cube.
Twelve of the prints are arranged in a single long row stretching across one wall of the narrow City Gallery, and the other twelve are arranged in a single long row on the facing wall. Each print repeats the faint outline of a cube in perspective. Within this, a different blocklike form is rendered with crisp edges and four shades of gray ranging from near-white to deep charcoal. Several shapes are simple, single solids (a cube, a wedge, a tall rectangular block), while others are compound constructions with cutouts, inset cubes, or stacked steps that form L-shapes and interlocking volumes.
Each volume is rendered as though it is transparent, revealing the combination of lines and planes that cut across the outer cube to create it.
Artwork Label Text
1982
Screenprints, ed.18/25
The Doris and Donald Fisher Collection at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Acquired by the Fisher family, 1988
Artwork Label Text
1985
Screenprints
The Doris and Donald Fisher Collection at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Acquired by the Fisher family, 1989
Visual Description
Six framed horizontal screenprints—each about twenty inches tall and four feet wide, which is slightly shorter than an average adult's outstretched arms—are arranged in a single, long row on a white wall. Each framed piece displays three geometric forms, which are different configurations of a cube.
These include solid blocks, cubes with sections removed to show interior faces, diagonal slices, and narrow rectangular prisms. Each framed piece also follows a consistent color pattern: the form on the left contains yellow, blue, and pink; the center form contains shades of gray and black; and the right form contains olive green, burgundy, and dark brown. The forms are accompanied by thin black wireframe lines that outline the shape of a complete cube around the colored volumes.
Three of the framed pieces feature light gray backgrounds, while the other three framed pieces feature white backgrounds. All six pieces are enclosed in thin black frames.