Fighting the Phantom Menace at the Battle of Los Angeles
If the above image looks familiar and of antique vintage, you may be surprised to hear that these particular searchlights were only recently dazzling the night skies of Paris as part of the Nuit Blanche celebration in October 2009. However, as Forgetomori noted, the light installation by artist Michel de Broin titled La Maîtresse de la Tour Eiffel (The Eiffel Tower’s Mistress) perfectly mirrors the iconic image that captured one of the most deeply mysterious moments in American history, the Battle of Los Angeles of February 24, 1942.
MU contacted Michel de Broin who graciously confirmed that ,”Yes, this picture [of The Battle of Los Angeles] influenced the project formally. I did know a little about it before I planned ‘La maitresse de la tour Eiffel’ and I liked the story around it, but it doesn’t relate to the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris, that is why I did not mention it,” de Broin wrote in a recent email, adding that nonetheless Forgetomori’s headline was right on the mark, ” I like this idea of the battle of Paris. It could be a good title for the work.”
