Amazing Light Drawings Created in 1970s New York City

By Emily Temple

Sep. 21, 2012

In the late 1970s, Eric Staller would wander around New York City, scoping out locations that he felt might “articulate the particular choreography or architecture of light” that he had in mind. After nightfall, armed with nothing but a pack of sparklers, some Christmas lights, and a camera, he would set up a tripod and create these gorgeous long time-exposure light paintings by moving through the darkness with the lights. The resultant photographs, which we recently spotted over at My Modern Met, would be beautiful in any year, but we’re especially impressed by how well Staller’s analog methods stand up to today’s art. Click through to see some of our favorites from his series, and then be sure to head on over to his wacky website to check out more of his work — and even purchase some.

Photo credit: Eric Staller