Envision the rhythmic pulse of a foghorn. It’s not just a sound here at Treasure Island. It is a feeling embodied in the Signal Sculpture.
Signal is a testament to San Francisco’s innovative spirit. It stands as a reminder of the Bay Area’s history.
This massive public artwork is on the western edge of Treasure Island. It invites us to consider our place in the landscape. It makes us reflect on the tools we build to traverse it.
Tom Loughlin created Signal from repurposed materials. These materials are from the former East Span of the Bay Bridge.
Specifically, the sculpture incorporates three 12-ton girders. It also features an original signal light from the bridge’s peak. The steel ring is 25 feet across. It sits on low concrete piers.
In 2015, the historic east span came down. Remnants were granted to 15 artists around California. Loughlin, a San Francisco conceptual artist, received 36 tons of steel.
Signal functions like a giant tuning fork. It vibrates at 35 hertz. That is the frequency of a foghorn. Loughlin said you feel it more than hear it.
Loughlin explores how systems connect. He studies the mind and body. He is interested in language, religion, nations and literal infrastructures. He also studies how systems fail.
The old bridge was built in 1935. The new span was replaced in 2014. It was damaged in the 1989 earthquake. The new bridge is already beginning to rust. Was the old bridge better? Loughlin asks.
He hopes Signal prompts us to ask questions. What tools are we building? How are they serving us?
The sculpture vibrates at its natural resonant frequency. Electronic equipment inside initiates this vibration. The steel enhances it. Elastomeric pads allow the ring to vibrate freely.
Visitors can step into the ring. They can experience soft pulses of light from the signal lamp. They can also feel the low, cyclical vibration. It sounds like a foghorn.
The pulsing light and sound evoke navigational aids. They remind us of bridges and other structures in the Bay. Loughlin hopes they also evoke natural rhythms. He wants us to think about tides, sunrises, weather changes and our own biological rhythms.
The Oakland Museum of California, the Treasure Island Development Authority and the San Francisco Arts Commission supported Signal. The Headlands Center for the Arts also helped.
Take a moment to appreciate Signal. It is more than just steel. It is a signal of our past, present and future. It is a reminder of the rhythms that connect us all.