Christo's Central Park "Gates"

Rainey · Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2005 4:55 am Post subject:

The fabric geets unfurled tomorrow! I'm really excited!

Thanks so much, Judy, for the day by day from Jok's site. I am really enjoying their pix, their perspective and the joyful writing.

lemonpoppy · Joined: 13 Feb 2005 Posts: 1

Hey,

I've been lurking on the forum for a while, but this is my first post.

I just saw the gates today, and they were beautiful. I was expecting big gates placed randomly around the park, but it was more like pathways of smaller gates (not that small but you could reach up and touch the fabric). When the light shone the fabric looked.. illuminated. I can't describe it any other way.

The wind also blew through on occasion and the fabric ruffled up like, I don't know it's difcult to describe. It looked almost like slow motion. I'm probably not making sense anymore but that was my favorite part. The way the park seemed to interact with the gates.

So overall it was really amazing. I hope some of you get to go and see it.

Rainey · Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2005 5:06 pm Post subject:

Welcome, lemonpoppy. I'm so glad to hear about your experience. I'm just now watching Sunday Morning and they have a story coming up about The Gates.

I didn't realize you'd be able to touch the fabric. Well, you maybe; I'm only 5'1" and sometimes I have to stand on a ladder to touch the top of my head. Wink

I read, perhaps on the Christo & Jeanne-Claude site, that one of the aspects of the design was that when the wind fluttered thru the panels, one would be able to "see" the wind. I'm also enormously impressed by a photo I saw once the unfurling had begun but wasn't completed. It was a panoramic view of the park from one of the short boundaries. You could see flashes of the saffron-colored unfurled posts from miles away thru the naked trees!

What a joyous and vibrant experience it would appear to be!

Charlotte · Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 15 Location: Berkeley, CA, US

My best friend, the ex-Brooklynite and art maven, was so there at 8:45 yesterday (she decided to time one of her semi-regular visits back to the homeland for this) watching the gates unfurl. She says it's wonderful - spectacle, public art at its finest.

Photoessay

(I'm also waiting for a zoom photo of the redtail hawks rebuilding their nest.)

A friend who lives on the Upper West Side was also there and loved it.

Rainey · Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 6:00 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the photos, Charlotte. Have you seen the link that Judy supplied earlier http://jchurch.net/ ? On one of the days there is a photo of Pale Male flying within the park.

Judy · Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 10:08 pm Post subject:

Thanks so much for sharing your friend's wonderful photos, Charlotte - she has really captured the light, and the uplifting mood of the park.

RWR · Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2005 2:42 am Post subject:

Charlotte ... Yes, thank you for your friend's wonderful photo review of the gates. I've passed it on to our group who will be gathering there in a few days. All of this anticipation building is wonderful.

Do you happen to know where the redtails are hanging out & rebuilding? Sure would like to observe them.
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Rainey · Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2005 5:36 am Post subject:

Judy · Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2005 8:58 am Post subject:

Erin · Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2005 1:23 pm Post subject:

We finally went to see the gates on Sunday and they were fabulous. Central Park is normally one of my favorite places and this addition gave it a new light. We just spent a few hours strolling around, watching the wind, drinking cocoa getting all doe eyed at each other. It was a beautiful site to take in, but more than that it made us stop doing errands and enjoy the day and each other.

Oh, and I made sure to think of my friends from Oz along the way.
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kiki · Joined: 13 Nov 2004 Posts: 8 Location: Brooklyn, NY

We went to central park at about 10:30am on opening day.

We were very very cynical to say the least, and were wonderfully proved wrong upon walking into the park.

For all the silliness, they are just great! Everyone around us was smiling, excited and just plain exuberant. When the sun was shining on the fabic, it was great because the pleats and the shadows cast by the leafless trees made them look almost like orange camoflague (spelling?)......

Deep into the southern half of the park, once I stood up on a rock outcropping, the view was breathtaking and only made much more interesting with the gates- you were able to really see the different levels of the planned Olmstead landcape and the true depth of the winding footpaths.

Bravo to Christo and wife. Only this would have brough the throngs into the park in the dead of winter!!

-Kiki, Brooklyn, NY

Rainey · Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2005 12:08 am Post subject:

Rainey · Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2005 12:14 am Post subject:

kiki- I have been reminding my Brooklynite, artist b-i-l that they were coming for a couple weeks. He has yet to respond to me. It may be his polite way of letting me know that he is well acquainted with Central Park and he can define art for himself, thank you very much... Shocked

I felt the same way you did before I saw The Umbrellas out here in SoCal. He may still be feeling the same way. ...with or without having seen The Gates. Chaqu'un a son goût.

But I'm glad you enjoyed them. I am enjoying them vicariously through each of you! So thanks, everyone, for every post!!!! Very Happy

Rainey · Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2005 11:32 pm Post subject:

Just for the fun of it, here are various homages to The Gates. http://www.boingboing.net/2005/02/20/christo_gates_parodi.html

Judy · Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2005 12:35 am Post subject:

From Christo, Jeanne-Claude, a gift of joy for New York

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/features/20050220-1126-christo.html