Over the period 1998 to 2004, and sporadically thereafter, in excess of 60 installations were undertaken investigating the nature of light as line. With the assistance of an Australia Council new work grant, many of these were executed in the Central Australian Desert where the notion of lineage (indigenous explanation of linearity within the physical landscape) and lineament (geological and geomorphological explanations of the same lineations) were investigated by way of lighting installations. Most of these early light projects were documented by colleague and photographer David Hancock.

Elsewhere, a body of work known as “Grail quest” was executed in and around the Scottish coastline and continued Langley’s ongoing fascination with the vessel form in mythology. 

Many of the works also investigated the optical intrigues of the moving line of light, the waters of Sydney Harbour and other locations provided situations for these illuminated interventions.