The gates of Malibu

Here’s to the creative residents of Malibu and the architects, woodworkers, glass artisans and metal sculptors they employ to build the sometimes interesting, sometimes gorgeous, sometimes bizarre and (we are the first to admit) sometimes cheese-ball gates for them.

Times staffer and Malibu resident Ken Hively photographed some of the most interesting of these gates, giving us a glimpse of the sensibility that lies beyond those forbidden driveways.

-- Deborah Netburn (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times)

Sept. 16, 2014 2:23 PM PT

They may have hidden their mansions, beach shacks and compounds from our prying eyes, but several of them left us looky-loos a small aesthetic statement in the form of their front gates. (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times)

Times staffer and Malibu resident Ken Hively photographed some of the most interesting of these gates, giving us a glimpse of the sensibility that lies beyond those forbidden driveways, leaving us to imagine what we might see if only we knew the pass code or the security guard, and were able to open those gates for ourselves. (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times)

The gates of Malibu (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times)