An Ode or a Half-Hearted Declaration of Love to The Vaillancourt Fountain

Armand Vaillancourt outrageously declared that his fountain would be regarded as a “great work of civic art [or] I am going to slit my throat.” He then proceeded to construct an ugly, jagged structure and scribbled “Quebec Libre” on one of the pipes. Like all great brutalist men before him, he was incredibly dramatic about his art. 

You can see it when you hop off the Embarcadero BART station. Its chemical-green liquid gushes from the precast concrete square tubes. The fountain's jagged limbs obscure the otherwise beautiful scenery including the Pacific Ocean and the remarkable Ferry Building. It looms over the land appearing unfinished and harsh. 

There have even been petitions to remove it. According to the SF Gate, In the 1970s the fountain led people to pass out handbills at its dedication using spiteful phrases including; "loathsome monstrosity," "howling obscenity," "obscene practical joke," "idiotic rubble," and "pestiferous eyesore”. Many art critics have scoffed at the structure. Thomas Goldfinch of Curbed SF referred to it as an “Utter monstrosity of purposefully unaesthetic material mangling”.  

In spite of the vocal outrage, the fountain has become a staple for the city of San Francisco. It was the grounds for a free U2 concert in which Bono climbed and defaced the installation with meaningless graffiti that read, ‘Rock N Roll Stops The Traffic’. The Vaillancourt Fountain ultimately decided not to take a human sacrifice that day. This was feverishly reported on by a now defunct U2 fan website that claimed the fountain was a “must see” spot for any U2 fan.

Yet, now that we are bombarded with “easy” or “digestible” art. Think about a typical modern public installation. Close your eyes and picture it. A funky fern printed wallpaper and a neon light with an uncontroversial saying, good vibes or drink up. Maybe there's even an adult swing (not the kinky kind, quite literally a swing big enough for two human adults). Maybe there’s a flower wall or a large sculpture that spells out“love” in large block letters. 

Public installations, seemingly around the world, have become homogeneous. Each one is a uniform landscape attempting to meet the rigorous demands of an all-powerful algorithm. All so the worst person you know can make a fun little boomerang. 

Maybe it’s fine to have one eyesore rather than the easily digestible Instagram-ready pop-ups that are being created today. Maybe you can even find glee and appreciate something that displeases and antagonizes the general public. Regardless of its critics, it has continued to stand proud through many decades. Despite its looks, it was built to outlast its creator. One day, it may even outlast you.