< Prev Next >

Here You Are / Are You Here

San Francisco-based artist Paul Madonna is known for blending poetic and poignant text with lush and inviting hand-drawn cityscapes. Originally rendered in pen and ink, this panoramic view from San Francisco’s Excelsior district depicts two perpendicular streets descending from a hilltop; the houses and trees ebbing and flowing in a graceful wave. The phrase “Here You Are / Are You Here” is a palindrome which flows throughout the scene, from side to side and foreground to background, prompting viewers traveling from all directions to consider not just where they are in space, but also where they are in time.