Green Giant

If you get the chance, it’s best to see Andy Goldsworthy’s art in the field, far from manmade obstructions. In San Francisco, we rarely get the chance: His famous crack in Golden Gate Park is thought-provoking, but it’s covered by the de Young museum. Recently, however, the artist commandeered a patch of land in the Presidio and created one of his famous stacked pieces in his traditional manner, by using objects found on the site. But these objects are a far cry from the twigs, leaves, and rocks he typically uses: In Spire, he lashed together 37 cypress tree trunks, culled as part of the Presidio’s reforestation project, and stacked them vertically: The tower reaches to the heavens, like a mythological druid totem.

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• Andy Goldsworthy
• Golden Gate Park

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The easiest way to see it is from a speeding car winding around Arguello Boulevard, but the best way is on a hike. Today, A Day at the Spire offers two: First, there’s a two-mile walk that meets at 1 p.m. at the “Goldsworthy at the Presidio” exhibit at Building 49, then treks up the Ecology trail to the Spire. The second hike starts at 4:30 p.m. at Inspiration Point, visits the Spire, then continues along the Bay Area Ridge Trail to meet up with the sunset at Immigrant Point.
Sat., March 7, 1 p.m., 2009