Arts News

Open The Gates

By Amy Somensky Feb 14, 2005, 2:19 GMT

New YorkSaffron colored fabric is draped over 7,500 gated covering 23 miles of the Park. The installation is the brain child of Christo and Jeanne-Claude. They financed the $21 million project themselves. "It's absolutely amazing. Everybody's just watching us do every one," said John Kappler, a 40-year-old worker from Peapack, N.J told the NY Post, as the visitors watched him pulled down the fabric from each gate. The project is formally known as "The Gates, Central Park, New York City, 1979-2005," to indicate how long it took the artists to go from conception to execution. As the fabric was unfurled, the cardboard tube it was wrapped around fell to the ground, sending spectators running and causing a few minor injuries. NY city mayor Bloomberg got hit on the head by a falling tube. He wasn't hurt, but a man had his glasses broken and a woman suffered a bloody nose.

The reactions to the installation were mixed."Isn't it spectacular?" asked former Texas Gov. Ann Richards, who helped out with the project. "It's so full of life and energy, and all these people are having a great time." "I came for this. It's poetry in motion. It's for the moment — a kind of Zen," said Barbara Knorr, a German-speaking visitor who made a special trip from Switzerland. "They deface the park. Why gild the lily? This is the most beautiful park in the entire world," one elderly man screamed at a woman as she described how much she liked the work. It sure is causing some discussion. Have you seen The Gates? Tell us what you think.

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dinoFeb 13th, 2005 - 23:21:26

ego run amok

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