The Bay Lights

I had glimpsed Leo Villareal’s Bay Lights installation—a dreamily silent and vastly huge display of moving white lights that make ethereal patterns all over one side of the western span of the Bay Bridge—a few times before. But the other evening, as I happened to be walking along the Embarcadero right at dusk, was the first time I’ve really gotten the full effect. The busy road, that rightfully should be loud as hell with traffic, somehow seemed to quiet down to a nearly noiseless hush, with only the cries of some birds and the lap of the waves audible. Some trick of the soothing light patterns upon the brain no doubt. But the effect was magical.