Chris Burden's Irresistible "Urban Light" Gift to Los Angeles

Last summer we lauded the magic of L.A.'s most popular public artwork, an instant hit since 2008. With Chris Burden's early death, we honor the spirit and the genius of his engaging gift of "public art-space" to the world - the "Urban Light" creation of nostalgic form and mesmerizing context. Which is exactly what he intended:

"I've been driving by these buildings for 40 years, 

and it's always bugged me how this institution [LACMA] 

turned its back on the city." (Los Angeles Times, Jan. 30, 2008)

Burden hoped his assemblage sculpture of 202 vintage lampposts would serve both as landmark and an entryway to LACMA's expanding campus (Los Angeles Times, Jan. 30, 2008).  In fact, "Urban Light" has become the most popular public artwork in Southern California - our web data confirm that no other public art comes remotely close to attracting such widespread public interest, with hundreds of daily visitors enjoying its twilight-changing visual effects and contributing glowing online public reviews and images (Google Maps).

Undeniably, "Urban Light" is THE Wilshire Blvd. beacon - impossible for skaters or zombies to miss, and an irresistible enticement to its mesmerizing magic.


As "front man" for LACMA's still-obscured entrance...
    "Urban Light" steals the show. 


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The Mural-View SLO-MO: Cruisin' Downtown L.A.'s U.S. 101

Glenna Boltuch Avila's
"L.A. Freeway Kids" (1984)

Frank Romero's
"Going To The Olympics" (1984)

Downtown L.A.'s Friday afternoon rush hour crush-creep along what is arguably the most solidly-congested stretch  of U.S. 101 provides us this special advantage:  the chance to enjoy the playful detail in lively children's faces and the parade of hearts and cars that we would otherwise zoom by too fast to see.

Restored in 2012 and 2013 with many of the other 8 murals from the 1984 Olympics, their lightness and charm shift our minds toward weekend plans and play.

Images/info.:
"Going To The Olympics" (1984) by Frank Romero
"L.A. Freeway Kids" (1984) by Glenna Boltuch Avila

Locate and post a review on Google Maps/Google+:
Public Art "Going to the Olympics"
Public Art "L.A. Freeway Kids"

L.A. Cultural Affairs Restores "Florence Nightingale" Statue in Lincoln Park

"Florence Nightingale" (1937)
by David P. Edstrom,
restored 2014

After much hand-wringing last year over the statue's decades-long damage, and after declining an offer from a nursing school to remove and adopt it, L.A.'s Department of Cultural Affairs and Department of Recreation and Parks recently unveiled the restored 1937 cast stone sculpture by David P. Edstrom.

 

Edstrom's sculpture remained damaged for decades -  both hands and the lamp they carried had been broken off, exposing their mounting rods in the arms and torso.  A set of replacement hands were attached at one time, but the effort produced an almost comical effect.   

Restored by Rosa Lowinger & Associates, the "Florence Nightingale" sculpture now correctly shows one hand holding the lamp and the other shielding its flame.  The area surrounding the sculpture's base and 2-foot foundation has also been landscaped with white roses.

POST A PUBLIC REVIEW

 Public Art "Florence Nightingale" on Google Maps.

"OOMO Cube" Spins Its Public Art Magic

"Oomo Cube" (2014) by Nicole Maloney
Plaza, 100 N. Central Avenue,
Little Tokyo , Los Angeles

Nicole Maloney brings her global effort "to create human oneness" to First Street and Central Ave., next to the Japanese American National Museum, with the Rubik's Cube-style  "OOMO Cube" - "OUT OF MANY ONE"  

Faceted with engaging human faces and mirrors, the "OOMO Cube" sculpture can be spun on its 4-foot pole to catch and reflect the real-time images of those spinning it. 

What a fascinating public art contribution to the plaza.

More -->  OOMO L.A.

Garten's "Heart of Compassion" Chandelier Adds Evening Glitz to Wilshire

Winter evenings on Wilshire Blvd. and Vermont Ave. are enlivened this winter by Cliff Garten's cool-as-ice chandelier and lighted screen sculpture.

"Los Angeles Opens Its Heart of Compassion" (2014)
by Cliff Garten
aluminum and white lighting sculpture;
45 x 70-foot sculptural light screen

As the public art focal point of The Vermont apartments, Garten's "Los Angeles Opens Its Heart of Compassion" sculpture presents a splashy contrast to April Greiman's charmingly subtle "Hand Holding a Bowl of Rice" on the Vermont/Wilshire Metro Station across the street (see both on the sculpture's YouTube installation video).

"Hand Holding a Bowl of Rice" (2007)

2014 YEAR IN REVIEW - PUBLIC ART INSTALLATIONS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

PUBLIC ART YEAR IN REVIEW 2014   Google OPEN GALLERY Exhibit

COMPLETE PREVIEW OF SCULPTURES, MURALS AND STATION ART ACROSS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Public Art in Public Places reviews 2014's 16 sculptures, murals, and transit station art installed across Southern California.  From Thousand Oaks to San Diego, cities and communities have amazing new public art to enjoy.

    A sample...

• Herb Alpert's bronze totem sculpture "Freedom" in Malibu
• Terry Thornsley's "Grace" at Laguna Beach's new lifeguard headquarters



"Freedom" by Herb Alpert

• Robin Golden's tribute mural for the "Elsinore Grand Prix"

"Grace" by Terry Thornsley

"Elsinore Grand Prix Tribute Mural" by Robin Golden

See details on all 16 public artworks at:

          PUBLIC ART YEAR IN REVIEW 2014
          Google Cultural Institute OPEN GALLERY Exhibit

Yarn-O-Polis Yarn Bombers "Dress" Grand Central Market

Photo Credit: NBCLA 4 

Hundreds of Yarn Bombing Los Angeles folks, L.A.'s own yarn bombers, have brought Yarn-O-Polis color and whimsy to Grand Central Market for the holidays.

Never has a Los Angeles locale been so charmingly "bombed," and their location target shows both artistic savvy and civic-mindedness. Yarn-O-Polis focused its talents on the modern-day Greek agora of Grand Central Market for their whimsical public art gesture to be enjoyed by all.  The public art installation began yesterday and continues throughout the holiday season to mid-January 2014.  

Photo Credit: NBCLA 4

Location:  Grand Central Market,
317 S. Broadway,
Downtown Los Angeles
Open until 9 p.m. Thurs.-Sat.