No doubt, many of you have heard about "The Gates," the artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude's installation of thousands of saffron arches in Central Park. Well, since it's practically in my back yard, had to go see it over the weekend. I knew it would most likely be beautiful, but I wasn't expecting just how breathtaking it is.

For anyone unable to make the trip (it's only up for 16 days), I'm sharing some of the photos I took. I know I will definitely be returning a couple more times to take more, but here's a start...



You faithful PSC choppers should recognize Essex House on the right-hand edge of the photo

Here are more, I'm just using links so the page didn't take forever to load:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v519/EJH/6A_0006o.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v519/EJH/7A_0007o.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v519/EJH/10A_0010o.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v519/EJH/11A_0011o.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v519/EJH/12A_0012o.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v519/EJH/13A_0013o.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v519/EJH/14A_0014o.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v519/EJH/15A_0015o.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v519/EJH/17A_0017o.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v519/EJH/22A_0022o.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v519/EJH/23A_0023o.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v519/EJH/24A_0024o.jpg

Enjoy!

Oooh--how beautiful. You're a wonderful photographer, EJH.

It might be fun to have a little informal chop contest with these. What do you think?

(Oh, and I voted yes. This is definitely art.)

Thanks, Cynn. If you want to play with them, go ahead... they're so surreal already, but I'm sure there are lots of interesting possibilities

good eye on the pics! installation is so ugly tho, what does it mean.

Thanks for sharing EJH, nice photos!

I like the installation, it's fresh and interesting.

This stuff drives me MENTAL.

I like it - it is weird - makes me think WTF? - isn't trying to sell anything...


BUT I think of the (wo)man-hours and $$$ that went into this and I wonder to myself "who the heck is this really helping or inspiring". True, it has inspired you to do some nice photos EJH... though I think of all the problems in USA (and the world in general) and kinda think sometimes artists have their priorities kinda wonky at times; maybe the $$$ coulda been spent more "effectively".

AND I don't know the background story here - perhaps all the proceeds / monies generated with this installation is being dedicated to Tsunami relief or something.

Hmmmmmmm....

Hmmmmmmmm......

Hmmmmmmmmmm.....

EJH,
Some nice photos, thanks for sharing..

I'm afraid I just don't get it, and that's ok. One person's art is another persons...not art. I looked at all the pics and as I opened the first few I kept thinking that the next pic would show something great. But to me, they are a framework with a curtain hanging from it over and over and over. Perhaps if I heard what the artist was trying to convey it would have some meaning. But it looks like something Yoko Ono would be involved in.

I found much more artistic appeal in your fine photography.

Reinman... LOL, your reaction is a common one... I wondered the same myself, but trust me, walking through & being a part of this whatever-you-want-to-call-it is surprisingly inspiring. It has been described as making even the most cynical New Yorkers "giddy".

BTW, all costs for the installation (materials, workers, etc.)--totalling about $20 million!-- were paid by the artists themselves, and since it's absolutely free of charge there aren't any profits being made. There are some books, posters, shirts & tschotschkes being sold in a gift shop, but 100% of those sales are going to the Central Park Conservancy, which takes care of the operations & maintenance of the park.

Gort... yeah, when I first set eyes on them I thought they looked like shower curtains. But the overall effect they produce is pretty cool...

$20 MILLION dollars!?????



My HEAVENS! And you say the artists PAID FOR THIS THEMSELVES!????

How many artists!? like, I'm hoping you're gonna say 2 MILLION artists....

(*staggers off to garage to learn how to hammer wood and sew curtains for a living*)

I'm with Gort, where's the art? It must be missynced brainwaves or just intestinal gas. They are cool pics but strange. Thanks for giving me something else to ponder EJH.

Um... actually only 2 artists, Christo and his wife Jeanne-Claude (*ducks under desk for cover from Reinman's exploding head*)

Here's their official website about the subject... http://www.christojeanneclaude.net/tg.html

Ah... we've had this sort of controversy going on for years here.

What with Damien Hirst's "Away From the Flock" (a sheep in a tank of formaldehyde)


and.. "The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living" (a shark in formaldehyde - see a pattern emerging here? )


And Tracey Emin's "famous" works too.. including her "My Bed" (unmade bed complete with soiled underwear and condoms)



...and her "Everybody I Ever Slept with 1963-1995" (a tent with the names of all her ex-lovers stuck on the inside)



Of course the whole fuss over "contemporary" art of this kind started here in the 60s when the Tate Gallery exhibited the infamous pile of bricks called "Equivalent VIII"



In my (oh so humble ) opinion, all of this so-called art is a load of cobblers.

Eh, i wasnt impressed with it, i didnt find much artistic value in it, metal covered in fabric.
I dont think there is much artistic thought put into it... IMO

`

It's art like this that makes baby-Jesus cry. It's the colour. I mean, if it was burnt-apricot then okay, but saffron???????!!!!! Gimme a break.