Photos: Chris Burden

Chris Burden created “Urban Light,” a sculpture in front of the entryway to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art that consists of genuine street lamps from Los Angeles’ past. He is pictured with the piece in 2008.

(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

May 10, 2015 2:18 PM PT

Some of the many works by Los Angeles-based sculptor and performance artist Chris Burden.

Chris Burden stands in “Urban Light,” in front of the entryway to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

Chris Burden in 2009 with his “Big Wheel” at the Museum of Contemporary Art’s Geffen Contemporary.

(Don Kelsen / Los Angeles Times)

Chris Burden’s “Big Wheel” involves a flywheel powered by a motorcycle.

(Don Kelsen / Los Angeles Times)

An operator stands in the middle of “Metropolis II.”

(Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

This piece, “Relic,” is from “TV Hijack” (1972) by Chris Burden.

(David Fitzgerald / Los Angeles Times)

“Bateau de Guerre” (2001) by Chris Burden. It is made with metal gasoline cans, plastic toys, metal lamps, plastic crates, straw hat, metal framework and two electric motors.

(Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

A 1982 photograph of Chris Burden in his participation piece artwork titled “Flying Kayak.”

(Mary Frampton / Los Angeles Times [file photo])

Chris Burden when he was working with Erector sets to build scale replicas of bridges around the world, photographed at his Topanga Canyon studio.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)