The striking, 50-foot-tall “naked lady” sculpture by a Petaluma artist that is currently installed in San Francisco could be returning to the North Bay this fall — unless someone decides to buy the controversial artwork after it was put up for sale.
Named “R-Evolution” by Petaluma sculptor Marco Cochrane — who originally created the 32,000-pound metal artwork for the 2015 Burning Man Festival — the towering nude has been on display at San Francisco’s Embarcadero Plaza since April 2025. Before that it stood proudly in a lot on 1st Street in Petaluma.
Don Frances / Petaluma Argus-Courier
Marco Cochrane’s Burning Man artwork “R-Evolution” outside the artist’s Petaluma studio on 1st Street on Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021. (Don Frances / Petaluma Argus-Courier)
As Cochrane prepares to celebrate Pride weekend in San Francisco with an 8-10 p.m. party on Friday, June 26 at the plaza — featuring music, speakers, roaming performers and a special rainbow light display he designed himself — word has begun to spread that R-Evolution’s residency in the city will end in October.
According to an announcement from Building 180, the art production and consulting agency that manages the piece, R-Evolution has been “on loan” to the city of San Francisco and is now available for purchase. Building 180 is the same group that helped sculptor Cjay Roughgarden find a home for her 100-foot-long sea serpent sculpture Naga — which had a brief residency at the Petaluma Fairgrounds — now installed in the Rainbow Falls pond near the JFK Promenade in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park.
No asking price has been offered, though interested parties are invited to reach out to Cochrane at his website, marcocochrane.com.
Cochrane was not immediately available for comment Friday.
Originally intended for Union Square, R-Evolution was instead placed at Embarcadero Plaza when officials decided the weighty art piece could damage Union Square’s historic tiles. After an initial flurry of controversy and debate, R-Evolution drew thousands of daily visitors there to photograph, pose with or just appreciate the artwork.
Christopher Chung / The Press Democrat
The 48-foot-tall R-Evolution sculpture by Petaluma artist Marco Cochrane stands in San Francisco’s Embarcadero Plaza during its unveiling Thursday, April 10, 2025. (Christopher Chung / The Press Democrat)
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Christopher Chung / The Press Democrat
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The 48-foot-tall R-Evolution sculpture by Petaluma artist Marco Cochrane stands in San Francisco’s Embarcadero Plaza during its unveiling Thursday, April 10, 2025. (Christopher Chung / The Press Democrat)