Orange alert! Here's my first round of photos of The Gates, the Central Park art project of white wrappers Christo and Jean-Claude. These pics were taken on the overcast opening day. The next afternoon was much sunnier and picturesque, but I was forced to labor indoors and could not play outside with the fun kids.
My verdict: Purdy neat. The Gates are not (is not?) majestically dramatic, but it/they is/are definitely a strange and novel reprogramming of the parkscape. Check out this Gates blog for a nice of mix of text, audio, and pictorial commentary, plus links. Rrrrrg, art weird. Art make me feel funny.
I think it/they is/are stupid. I've been walking past or through it/them for some weeks now, and just don't see the point. That said, I'm not very smart.
Posted by: Enrique Bana | February 14, 2005 at 02:40 PM
Yeah, those gates sucked. I thought they would be a lot taller. I liked the artists much better when they were wrapping the Reichstag in saran wrap.
Posted by: Karsten | February 14, 2005 at 08:30 PM
Although to be fair, Karsten, The Gates would appear taller if Chris and LB weren't of such gargantuan proportions.
Posted by: Enrique Bana | February 15, 2005 at 11:42 AM
This is true. Christo did not consider my own immensity when creating the Gates, a critical but all too common error among modern artists. "How will this look next to Mohney?" You'd think Christo would have learned after I picked up his wrapped Reichstag and popped it in my mouth like a bonbon. Crunchy!
As to the Gates themselves, I've decided I kinda forgive them any shortcomings just due to novelty value. They have as much point as any public art really, which is negligible. They make for an interesting spectacle. I am glad they're not permanent though. Too much saffron tends to make my complexion look all ruddy.
Posted by: chris m | February 15, 2005 at 01:16 PM
Our tax dollars at work, no? Our governments whine like whipped dogs at budget time, but they don't think twice about frittering away mega-bucks on draping a park in fabric!
JH
Posted by: John M. Hicks | February 15, 2005 at 04:22 PM
Actually, no. Christo and Jeanne-Claude are financing the $20+ million cost themselves. I think NYC might even make a profit out of The Gates from tourists popping into town to see the stupid things.
I hate tourists clogging up my neighborhood. Please make them go away.
Posted by: Enrique Bana | February 15, 2005 at 05:32 PM
And all proceeds from the sale of Gates merchandise go to charitable organizations that benefit the city.
Enrique, maybe you should move to Brooklyn. I hear things are nice and calm out there with nary a tourist on your doorstep.
Posted by: LB | February 16, 2005 at 09:44 AM
.....Then certainly the leadership in NYC is light-years ahead of that here! Birmingham funds theme parks, dog-tracks, and minor-league sports franchises that can't stand on their own. I am guilty of not clicking the link and reading the details, I'm afraid. Of course, from a guy that thinks Ozzy Osbourne's music is art, can you really expect much?
.....JH
Posted by: John M. Hicks | February 16, 2005 at 10:08 AM
Don't they have graffiti all over them yet? If they were in Dublin they'd have 'Steo loves Jacinta' written all over them.
I insist next time somebody walks past them they take photos of any graffiti and posts online in the name of art.
Posted by: Dave R | February 16, 2005 at 11:16 AM
Good ol' Steo! I've heard that there's some tentative graffiti going on, such as this brief critique:
http://www.taleoftwocities.org/2005/02/that-was-fast.php
Apparently the volunteers are very quick to spot and eradicate any defacement.. I guess since the Gates are only around for a few weeks, they can sustain this level of policing.
As for Brooklyn, it's fulla damn hipsters. Damned, dirty hipsters.
Posted by: chris m | February 16, 2005 at 11:55 AM