Meeting Louis, by DeWitt Godfrey
American Sculptor DeWitt Godfrey makes his Mark on San Francisco’s Big Art Loop with his iconic Honeycomb-like steel sculptures.
During one of our installments of Sapphic Shred, Cameron and I stumbled upon this incredible piece by DeWitt Godfrey at Bayfront Park. Louis consists of over 170 metal ovals created out of 10-Gauge Steel Weathering Coils and 1,000 bolts to create a dome structure. Louis allows to to feel the art from within and uses its interior to create views of both positive and negative space. Legend has it that Godfrey had his assistants assemble prototypes of his sculptures with Chobani Yogurt cups as they have a similar structure.
Many of Godfrey’s works earlier to 2016 (sculptures like Claverack, Layman, among others) were supported by others pieces of structure with pieces built in between buildings or trees, instead Louis was a complete structure that any patron could experience. The structure is reminiscent of a piece of coral or a honeycomb. I was honestly awestruck when Cameron and I walked into the piece and could see the clouds, the Chase Center, and the Bay Bridge through neat rustic oval frames perfectly placing their points on the city.
The rust makes Louis look natural from afar.
Originally commissioned in 2016 for Artprize8 in Grand Rapids, Michigan — Louis was selected as the Featured Public Project Award and held tenure in Calder Plaza (alongside Alexander Calder’s works). After, Louis headed east to Summit, New Jersey for a couple of years before landing here in San Francisco.
Louis was actually the first project of DeWitt Godfrey that was majority funded by Kickstarter and is actually constructed with the help of the Big State Art Crew: Rebecca Johnson, Aiden Gibbons, Lindsay Hodges, Thaddeus Rowe, and DeWitt Godfrey himself. What is amazing is that the same crew that brought Louis to New Jersey actually chauffeured the sculpture all the way to the other coast.
While Louis may be a little more rusty than its debut a decade ago, the age looks absolutely beautiful against the lush green parkscape.
DeWitt Godfrey
Louis, 2016
Weathering Steel
21’ H x 31’ L x 22’ W
Inspired by natural forms like seashells and honeycombs, Godfrey creates artworks that can be experienced from within as well as from without. Composed of intricately stacked steel ovals, this striking hive-like structure engages viewers from afar, inviting them in to admire an interior dome that opens to the sky.
Louis was originally commissioned in 2016 for the ArtPrize8 competition in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where it won the prize for Featured Public Project and wasexhibited alongside a sculpture by the legendary artist Alexander Calder. Godfrey named the sculpture Louis after Louis Campau, an early settler known as the “Father of Grand Rapids.”
This temporary installation is part of Big Art Loop — Portside and made possible through the support of Sijbrandij Foundation in partnership with Building 180 and the Port of San Francisco.
Since I have been watching a lot of basketball lately at the Chase Center, I have visited Louis often; this piece will always feel fresh no matter how many times I visit. I can picture a date, family picnic, birthday parties, photoshoots with Louis, and I am surprised that we have not embraced this sculpture as much as we should.
The parks in Mission Bay are beautifully nestled on the bay and always seem empty. I wish more people of San Francisco would come and see parks like Bayfront Park, China Basin Park, and Crane Cove Park as there is a lot of very cool maritime history around here.
Louis is the future of public art where we simply do not just view but experience the piece and place in a new way due to the arts nature.
It was a pleasure meeting you, Louis.
How to Visit Louis
Louis is located at Bayfront Park just East of the Chase Center and can be accessed via MUNI through the T route at the UCSF/Chase Center stop.
For my bus crew, the 3rd Street & Warriors Way Stop is closest to Louis and Bayfront Park, which services the 15 Bay View/Hunters Point, 22 Fillmore, and the 91 3rd Street/19th Avenue Owl.
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