Joe and I have an unusual schedule. We both work nights.
This means that we both get back home between the hours of midnight and 2AM. This also means that we sleep in every afternoon. And of course, this also very well means that we explore L.A. between the quiet (and mostly magical) hours of sunset to sunrise.
“Urban Light” is one of my favorite installations in Los Angeles, and probably my favorite sight to see on Wilshire, no offense to the La Brea Tar Pits and The Wall Project. By day these lamp posts are swarming with tourists, hipsters and kids with their families; but by night you’ll only see a few people among them, and more likely than not, they’re the locals who have decided to wander by and have “a moment.”
Made by Chris Burden (remember, the performance artist who shot himself in the arm?), the installation is made up from 202 restored lampposts from the 1920s and 1930s mostly taken from the streets of Southern California, with a few being imported from Portland, Oregon. Astonishing in size and perspective, this installation is a true beauty and sweetly nostalgic.
I think it can only be truly experienced in person. Photos don’t do it justice, but here are some anyway.
Photos c/o Joseph Speer
Eat Diamonds for Breakfast 
