The De Young Museum

I had a chance to (briefly) visit the De Young Museum today in San Francisco; the one thing that always bothered me about the City was the real lack of art; sure, there is a pretty lively underground scene, and there are a few galleries downtown (that don't stay open too late), but there isn't a truly world-class museum here (sorry all you SF MOMA lovers). So I was very excited when the De Young recently reopened.

Well, I think I was disappointed overall. And this is coming from a guy who actually didn't get to see the whole place, so yes, take with a grain of salt.

Some impressions:

1. Art should be free. Period. And if it isn't, staff shouldn't be telling people waiting in a long line that there is a free section that consists solely of the lobby (where there was about 7 pieces of art), the cafe, and the observation tower (more on it later).

2. I thought the architecture was pretty stunning, reminding me of the Tate Modern for its, well, industrial feel. However, it did feel a bit out of place. The grounds are comfortable and pleasing to the eye, but definately feel over-manufactured.

3. The inside of the museum (the lobby) is stark in its whites and flat surfaces. Not very homey.

4. The observation tower is ridiculous to me. First, you build it in a city known for its fog (and built in a part of town that has a lot of it). Second, it literally sticks out like a sore thumb. You can't build any structure in the west side of town more than four stories or so anymore, so why would you put in the middle of the park an 8 story tower? Long lines, not much of a view, and a feeble attempt at an iconic structure.

I suppose I should go back and look at the art....