On the Aesthetic and Ideological Function of Lampposts

I see it as a vital function, perhaps duty, of every person who would consider himself (or herself) to be free to question the values that compose their view on life. Not only the foreground matters, though important, the dramas, tribulations and flashing images that preoccupy our thoughts for the most part, but also those that create the backdrop; the hidden discourses, the defining features that it is so easy to leave unquestioned. These form the mise-en-scene of our lives, shape it unquantifiably, indicate so many things about ourselves as individuals and as a society but encounter the anaesthesia of a supposed banality and do not receive our focus.

What one age considers a truism the next age dismisses as ridiculous absurdity. Reality is not as monolithic as is assumed. The possibility for great instability is there; this should not necessarily be employed, but at least acknowledged and pondered, if only occasionally. So it is with this in mind that I approach the topic at hand. Lampposts are ubiquitous; we pass a great number in the course of a single day without ever noting what they represent. They are so ingrained into our being that the possibility of their absence seems anathema, yet they are historically incidental. They are the ornaments of modernity, its symbol, and, as such, are indelibly woven into the construction of our values: They are ideological.

The Sun, and perhaps light in general, has a religious significance that lies, sometimes overtly, sometimes subconsciously, in the Western psyche. Pantheism and animalism gave pride of place to the Sun god, provider of life. Through the Egyptians and Greeks the religious world converged on monotheism, culminating in Christianity in whose the language of revelation and divinity is synonymous with light: Did not Moses demonstrate the Jewish god’s power by blacking out the Sun? Are we not supposed to ‘see the light?’ So the Enlightenment project in overthrowing the ‘superstitions’ of its backward forbears assumed this language. The power over light is power over Nature itself – a mighty goal for humanism. Lampposts are not just about illumination - they are about demonstration.

On every street in every town the power of scientific, rational thought is made evident to the populace. Man proves himself dominant over the revolutions of the Earth. Lampposts represent order and structure and serve society well. A government study (link listed below) has noted that it is not the amount of light that diminishes crime, nor are they of great assistance in increasing visibility, if anything they are blight, causing light pollution. Instead, the effects are placebonic in nature. Crime is reduced indirectly because the spirit of community is fostered, the perception of safety is increased. The rational justifications for their presence are not borne by the facts – they don’t directly reduced crime and one can question the utility of a little extra light. They provide comfort because they show that some higher power (the state) has control here and is looking after this area, giving it attention and this induces informal social control. Criminals are deterred not from fear of detection or improved surveillance but subconscious associations with the instruments of power. Lighted areas illustrate a more controlled use of public space, this is how they effect crime.
They are made by Man and yet seem somewhat natural. A street, particularly a high street, seems odd without this lighting. Since this is part of our identity should we praise their security and comfort or criticise the control they exercise, to pass judgement on this is to pass judgement on ourselves: Should we seek freedom at all costs and view them as self-imposed restraints or see them as achievements and congratulate ourselves?

The answer to this question will determine our aesthetic standpoint.

To be continued.