Art & Architecture

Chris Burden

Born in Boston, Massachusetts 1946

Urban Light, 2008

Los Angeles County Museum of Art

Chris Burden was a key performance artist during the 70’s, I’m sure you all are vaguely aware at the very least, about the artist who asked his friend to shoot him in the arm. Well that was Burden, November 19, 1971, in Santa Ana, California.

“Shoot” survives in desultory black-and-white photographs with this description: “At 7:45 P.M. I was shot in the left arm by a friend. The bullet was a copper jacket .22 long rifle. My friend was standing about fifteen feet from me.” Why do such things? “I wanted to be taken seriously as an artist.”

So do we take Burden seriously? Or do we not? In consideration of Burden’s recent work “Urban Light” it is clear that some of his childish imagination remains. Urban Light is a permanent installation piece on the grounds of (the Los Angeles County Museum of Art) consisting of more than a hundred and forty handsomely restored antique lampposts.

Arrayed in ranks only centimeters apart, defying notions of space, especially public-space, the hundreds of lampposts make a bizarre yet beautiful sight.The courtyard where Urban Light is positioned, is open to the street and can be visited anytime night or day. The lamps turn on at dusk and remain lit until dawn, like any other street light in the city.

More info:

http://www.gagosian.com/artists/chris-burden/

http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/artworld/2007/05/14/070514craw_artworld_schjeldahl

Urban Light, 2005

Installation at Chris Burden's studio, Topanga, CA