Since she was first unveiled as a temporary installation in April 2025, the giant statue, created by artist Marco Cochrane and modeled after California dancer and singer Deja Solis, has spurred debate<\/a> about whether privately funded works are really public art.<\/a> It also questions whether R-Evolution is a celebration of femininity in a free-spirited city that has long embraced public nudity<\/a> or a hypersexualized shock piece from a male artist.<\/p>\n But debate, per the public and private entities who brought her to the plaza, is kind of the point. Art, they say, is supposed to be controversial.<\/p>\n An attempt to revitalize public space<\/p>\n R-Evolution is part of Big Art Loop, a privately funded initiative that aims to bring up to 100 temporarily installed large-scale sculptures \u2014 a minimum of 10 feet high or wide preferred \u2014 to public spaces along a 34-mile walking and biking trail<\/a> over the next few years.<\/p>\n R-Evolution in Embarcadero Plaza in April 2025.<\/p>\n (Christopher Reynolds \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n Big Art Loop is funded by the Sijbrandij Foundation, a nonprofit established by billionaire Sid Sijbrandij, co-founder of the software company GitLab. It is curated by the art production agency Building 180, in partnership with the city\u2019s Recreation and Parks Department and other public agencies.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to continue to lean in to our arts and culture because that is driving our comeback here in San Francisco,\u201d Mayor Daniel Lurie said in a September video<\/a> promoting the Big Art Loop.<\/p>\n A city news release last year<\/a> said R-Evolution\u2019s arrival \u201caligns with San Francisco\u2019s broader efforts to revitalize downtown\u201d by increasing foot traffic to the battered business district, where office vacancy rates soared to record-high rates of more than 30%<\/a> amid the pandemic-era pivot to remote work.<\/p>\n Controversial lady and Burning Man<\/p>\n Like a few of the Big Art Loop pieces, R-Evolution originally debuted at Burning Man, towering above the sweaty and stoned desert masses in 2015. <\/p>\n Critics of R-Evolution say the statue and other massive pieces along the billionaire-backed Big Art Loop did not get as much community input and were not subject to the same intense scrutiny by the San Francisco Arts Commission as other public artworks.<\/p>\n \u201cI think what a lot of people, myself included, are frustrated by is the fact that these private entities are able to remake the public landscape in their own image,\u201d Max Blue, a San Francisco Examiner art critic, told Gazetteer San Francisco<\/a> in October, adding: \u201cI don\u2019t like these sculptures. I think a lot of them are just left over from Burning Man.\u201d<\/p>\n Visual artist DJ Meisner told the Gazetteer: \u201cIt\u2019s just so clear when you see the art that it\u2019s like, \u2018Oh, I\u2019m supposed to be unbelievably wealthy and high looking at this.\u2019 I\u2019m neither of those things, so I\u2019m just annoyed to be looking at it.\u201d<\/p>\n Female representation or inappropriate?<\/p>\n Before R-Evolution was installed, an art vendor with a booth in Embarcadero Plaza wrote in a letter<\/a> to the Arts Commission, saying she thought the statue, whose bare butt faces the Ferry Building, \u201cmight be very inappropriate for children.\u201d<\/p>\n Another vendor wrote: \u201cA naked woman statue designed by a man feels out of step with the times.\u201d<\/p>\n The creator of the piece, Cochrane, said in a statement<\/a>: \u201cWomen\u2019s presence in public art is rare<\/a>. When they are depicted, it is often through outdated or passive narratives. R-Evolution challenges that. She stands strong, aware, and grounded \u2014 calling for a world where all people can walk freely and without fear.\u201d<\/p>\n Love her or hate her, she gets eyeballs<\/p>\n Julie Richter, a spokeswoman for Big Art Loop, told me in an email Thursday that R-Evolution, which had been slated for removal in April, got \u201cvery positive\u201d feedback that led to her Arts Commission-approved extended stay through October. That feedback included positive reviews from most tourists, art vendors and nearby local businesses, according to a pitch to extend the statue\u2019s stay by Big Art Loop and Building 180<\/a>.<\/p>\n Near R-Evolution\u2019s current perch, Vaillancourt Fountain<\/a> \u2014 a colossal, crumbling Brutalist concrete sculpture that was unveiled in Embarcadero Plaza in 1971 and became a skateboarding mecca<\/a> \u2014 was equally reviled and revered. Despite fans\u2019 efforts to save it<\/a>, the city removed it<\/a> this spring.<\/p>\n You’re reading the Essential California newsletter <\/p>\n Sign up to start every day with California’s most important stories.<\/p>\n By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Service<\/a>, which include arbitration and a class action waiver. You agree that we and our third-party vendors may collect and use your information, including through cookies, pixels and similar technologies, for the purposes set forth in our Privacy Policy<\/a> such as personalizing your experience and ads. <\/p>\n Today\u2019s top stories The Visalia sign seen from Highway 99.<\/p>\n (Tomas Ovalle \/ For The Times)<\/p>\n These are California\u2019s most affordable and least affordable citiesWhat we know about the boat accident near AlcatrazA memorial cruise turned tragic when a boat sank near Alcatraz Island<\/a>, leaving one passenger dead, three missing and 17 rescued.The search for the missing was challenged not only by high winds and rough seas, but because the incident took place in a particularly deep channel of the bay dredged for cargo ships.Scientists fear when the San Andreas fault finally snapsScientists warn the region\u2019s long earthquake drought is building dangerous strain<\/a> on the San Andreas and San Jacinto faults, raising the odds of a devastating multi-county \u201cBig One\u201d in coming decades.With scenarios forecasting violent shaking from downtown L.A. to the Inland Empire, experts say the fault\u2019s growing stress is a stark reminder to strengthen preparedness before nature resets the clock.What else is going onCommentary and opinionsThis morning\u2019s must-readOther must-readsFor your downtime The dining room at Baldi in Beverly Hills.<\/p>\n (Myung J. Chun \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n Going outStaying inA question for you: As temperatures rise in SoCal, how do you stay cool?<\/p>\n Email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com<\/a>, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.<\/p>\n And finally … your photo of the day The trunk of a flooded car is seen in an underground garage along Palm Avenue in West Hollywood after a water main break sent thousands of gallons of water rushing down Sunset Boulevard and the surrounding area on Thursday morning.<\/p>\n (Allen J. Schaben \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n Today\u2019s photo is from Times photographer Allen J. Schaben in West Hollywood, after a water main break sent thousands of gallons of water rushing down Sunset Boulevard and the surrounding area on Thursday morning.<\/p>\n Have a great day, from the Essential California team<\/p>\n Hailey Branson-Potts, staff writer How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com<\/a>. Check our top stories<\/a>, topics<\/a> and the latest articles<\/a> on latimes.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n ![\"This](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1784296510_710_.jpeg\")
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Hugo Mart\u00edn, assistant editor, fast break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, weekend writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters<\/p>\n