Amy of Amy's Robot pointed out this afternoon, quite correctly, that "every single blessed one of the NYC-oriented blogs will feature wads of nearly identical photos of the Christo and Jeanne-Claude The Gates Central Park project starting this weekend."
Screw 'em all! Not only did I walk to the park this afternoon, but I doubt any other damn NYC blogger is going to have a photo of their companion doing this:
Kidding aside, the fabric hasn't even been unfurled from the gates yet and I already think The Gates is a magnificent project. I've never really gotten the appeal of Christo & Jeanne-Claude's wrapping projects before, but I found my walk through the park today, under the gates and on paths I know well, very moving.
The Gates are huge, much taller than I expected them to be. But they're just the perfect size—any smaller and they would be overwhelmed by the park, any bigger and they would be far too imposing. I was surprised by how organic they felt to me, not alien at all. Perhaps that comes from Central Park itself being a planned environment, even if it doesn't seem that way to most people.
I liked this bit from The Gates Official FAQ (and how much do you love that it actually has one?):
The artwork is not the process of unfolding the fabric, but rather the sum total one experiences by exploring Central Park once The Gates are unfurled. Every person’s exploration will be different. That is why the artists say whatever part of the park you are in is the best part of The Gates.
Hopefully I'll get to experience The Gates a few times in the coming days, on paths familiar and unfamiliar to me. Drop me a line if you'd like to come along!
Here's another of my photos of The Gates, pre-unfurling:
You can see my photo set from this afternoon on Flickr; also check out photos tagged thegates, posted by myself and others.
More about Christo & Jeanne-Claude's The Gates: page on the official Christo & Jeanne-Claude site, the comprehensive nyc.gov site. I've leafed through these three lovely books on The Gates: Christo & Jeanne-Claude: The Gates: Central Park, NYC, 1979-2005 (a program of sorts), Christo and Jeanne-Claude: On the Way to The Gates, Central Park, New York City (published last year, about what the artists had to do to get the project running, features sketches and interviews), and Christo: The Gates Portfolio.
More about Central Park: Wikipedia entry, Central Park Conservancy (the official site), centralpark.org (fan site).
I like your comment about central park being a planned environment, even if it doesn't seem that way to most people. I was once talking with someone in Prospect Park who absolutely refused to believe that the lakes were artificial.
Great post. I wanna see The Gates!
Have you read that amazing New York Times Arts section article about the project?
I got a little misty-eyed. And then MY dog pissed on my leg. I think it's the new zeitgeist.