February 28, 2005
See Ya Later, Alli-Gates-or
The Gates have finished their popular run in Central Park, delighting visitors from around the world as well as around the corner. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, whose roof was open to the public to see The Gates, was reportedly overwhelmed with visitors (even more so than the holidays!) and there was spillover into other museums and neighborhoods in the city, leading vendors and store owners, whose businesses were up anywhere from 50-100%, to regret the closing. The NY Times spoke to artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude about the end of the exhibit: They seem very ready. Gothamist is glad that The Gates came to Central Park, delighting some, challenging others, because the exhibit was successful in making people rethink their relationships with the park, what art was, or let them go to town with their cameras. What did you think?
Other news from the weekend around the exhibit: Some teens from NJ (Jersey!) put their initials on a few of The Gates with marker. The police charged them with criminal mischief; the marker wiped right off. And an Emergency Services Van got stuck through a gate. Man, covering The Gates is like a smalltown police blotter! Plus, there was this amusing piece about Bill Gates changing his name to "The Gates."
Photo of The Gates near Tavern on the Green from eats dirt on Flickr
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I can't believe no one at Gothamist has commented on this Central Park sign by the city transit powers: http://sinergism.com/mugshots/gates12.jpg --
The syntax alone, if not the choice of words, is worth the web space it takes to post, mock, and archive.
That's a nice photo. It would've been interesting if the Gates had a twinkly-lights component to them...but maybe overwhelming :)
Good riddance!
holy shit that's my photo. I was reading the post like "hey, someone else shot the gates near tavern on the green! cool!"
Yes, good riddance to this display which cost nothing to any of us, drew people outside during peak hibernation season, and drummed up business for surrounding enterprises during a typically slow time. A pox on the Christos and their selfishness.
the concept was cool, the effect for the city's economy and the awesome PR is generated was great, but the work itself was lame. i would call it a success, but not on an artistic level. i am VERY happy that the park will be less crowded thats for sure. there were too many stupid fat people from out of town walking around really slowly with their heads up in the air not looking where they were going, stopping every 10 feet to take a picture. this is why so many NYers hated the gates and you cant really blame us. It was cool, it was good for the city, but thankfully its finally over.
Let me see if I have this right. Art that attracts "stupid fat people from out of town" = bad art.
no, art that attract lots of stupid fat out of towners = nuisance
their aesthetic success or lack thereof is another topic entirely. in my humble opinion, the installation doesnt look that good. the concept is awesome, but the execution left a lot to be desired. in my opinion.
the masses of people clogging up the park being a nuisance, well thats just a fact. try reading the post thoroughly next time before commenting on it. it was really quite clear.
Actually I did read your post quite closely, which I suppose was the problem. If I used the same scant care in reading it that you did in drafting it, perhaps your point -- whatever it is -- would have been crystal.
Let's see if I have it now. Here's my list of artistic nuisances that seems to attract a perpetual stream of soft-around-the-middle schmucks from outside the city:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Museum of Modern Art
The Brooklyn Museum
The Museum of Natural History
American Folk Art Museum
Carnegie Hall
The Cloisters
Museum of the Moving Image
Dia Center for the Arts
The Whitney Museum of American Art
PS1 Contemporary Art Center
Will someone please tell these congestion magnets to pack up and move out of town? We New Yorkers will do just fine without all the masses they attract.