Dirt Road Photo by Alexander Albrecht

Aluminum Yucca

Aluminum Yucca

Approaching Albuquerque from the east on I-40, a public art installation welcomes you to the city: The Aluminum Yucca. The 22-foot tall sculpture by artist Gordon Huether was created using salvaged aluminum fuel tanks from F-15 aircraft. At night, the giant yucca is illuminated by LED panels of slowly varying color, powered by solar energy. During this five minute exposure on a moonless night, the stars start to form trails in the sky, while the city lights illuminate the mountain tops in the backgournd.

Another night photograph of this sculpture can be seen in a gallery of my favorite photographs.