North Rosslyn in Arlington in Arlington County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Luminous Bodies
Photographed by J. Makali Bruton, March 23, 2025
1. Luminous Bodies Marker
Artist Cliff Garten
Title, date Luminous Bodies, 2020
Materials Stainless steel, LED lights
Info
Marking each of the four corners of the Esplanade Bridge over I-66, these monumental sculptures create a memorable entry into Arlington County. The 26-foot high illuminated sculptures, called Luminous Bodies, consist of formed stainless-steel rods intersecting to define both exterior and interior surfaces and volumes. The structures respond to the formal stone and bronze monuments that bookend Rosslyn, lending a fresh perspective with their transparent vessels filled with sunlight during the day and color changing LED light at night.
This Esplanade Bridge installation is the second phase of Cliff Garten's Corridor of Light, which when complete will result in artwork marking three major entryways into Arlington, VA. Installed in 2018, the first major artwork of the series is Gravity and Grace, a site-specific large-scale LED public artwork integrated into the architecture of Central Place Plaza.
Please do not climb on the structures.
Funded by private development public art fund contributions from B. F. Saul Company & Affiliates, JBG SMITH and 1881 Rosslyn Associates, LLC For additional information on public art: arlingtonarts.org For additional information on Cliff Garten:
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Arts, Letters, Music. A significant historical year for this entry is 2020.
Location. 38° 53.902′ N, 77° 4.237′ W. Marker is in Arlington, Virginia, in Arlington County. It is in North Rosslyn. It is on North Lynn Street, on the right. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1919 N Lynn St, Arlington VA 22209, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area and in Northern Virginia. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Rosslyn (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Purple Heart Memorial (about 500 feet away); Causeway (approx. Ό mile away in District of Columbia); Watergate Investigation (approx. Ό mile away); Force of Nature (approx. 0.3 miles away); Mount Vernon Trail (approx. 0.3 miles away); Cupid's Garden / Fort Corcoran (approx. 0.3 miles away); American Indian Villages and Captain John Smith (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Arlington.
Photographed by J. Makali Bruton, March 23, 2025
2. Luminous Bodies Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on March 24, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 23, 2025, by J. Makali Bruton of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 111 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 23, 2025, by J. Makali Bruton of Washington, District of Columbia.
