LACMA 'Urban Light' artist Chris Burden dies at 69
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Chris Burden, the artist who created the famous "Urban Light" display outside the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, has died, the museum said Sunday.
Burden died of melanoma at his Topanga Canyon home Sunday. He was 69, according to the Los Angeles Times.
LACMA noted Burden's passing on Twitter. "We are deeply saddened to note the passing of Chris Burden, whose impact on art and on LA has been profound," the tweet said.
The museum also kept the installation's lights on throughout the day as a tribute to the late artist. The lights are generally turned off during the daytime hours.
Burden created complex art installations and works that had automated functions.
The 2008 "Urban Light" display remains the entrance for the LACMA and uses 202 restored cast-iron street lamps.
Burden spent four years creating the "Metropolis II" installation, which provides a dynamic view of 21st century traffic. It's a part erector set, part model railroad, complete with a landscape that features everything from post-modern skyscrapers to Moroccan castles.
In 2012, Burden told Eyewitness News that the inspiration behind "Metropolis II" came in part from something we all deal with every day - traffic.
His other works are in museums around the world, including New York and London.
Burden also made headlines for his performance art at a younger age, including an act in Santa Ana, where he had someone shoot him in the arm.
Burden is survived by his wife Nancy.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
