'Gates' go, memories stay

Art Business News, April, 2005 by Lindsay Walker

NEW YORK -- Like a golden river coursing through the trees and reflecting shadows among the leafless trees, "The Gates, Central Park, New York City, 1979-2005" was truly a historic work of art. From Feb. 12 through Feb. 27, the 23 mile-long, saffron-colored, nylon-paneled installation created a warm, vibrant flow throughout the park, captivating locals and tourists alike. The husband-and-wife team, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, waited many years for this day to come, negotiating with the City of New York for the green light on this grand installation. And once the day arrived, it quickly passed, leaving the City of New York with only the pure beauty and aesthetic appeal to remember these mere 16 days of streaming glory intertwined throughout Central Park.

"Our aspiration to create a major public work of art for New York began when we emigrated from Europe in 1964" say the artists via the Web site, www.nyc.gov/thegates. "During the 1970s, while creating projects elsewhere, but continuing to live and work in New York, we remained committed to succeeding in completing a major outdoor work of art in the city. Our attention turned toward the vast flow of people walking through the streets. The resulting proposal was 'The Gates,' a project directly related to the human scale, to be sited in Central Park, whose 843 acres are the ultimate locale for walking at leisure."

Christo and Jeanne-Claude felt the work of art was beautiful and the only way to see it, was to build it. To them "The Gates" had no purpose, it was only a work of art. And, as many artists do, the team created their work of art for themselves, and if others liked it, it was only a bonus. During an exclusive interview with ABN, Jeanne-Claude explains, "We love each of our works for their unique qualities." She says each project is important for its distinctive characteristics and each is completely separate from one another. "We would never complete another project that is similar to 'The Gates' or any other project we have installed." Jeanne-Claude continues on to say that the "The Gates" is not any more important than any other projects the two have worked on, including "The Umbrellas, Japan-USA, 1984-1991," "Surrounded Islands, Biscayne Bay, Miami, 1980-1983" and "Valley Curtain, Rifle, CO, 1970-1972." She says, "We like to use the words 'joy and beauty' when speaking of our works, as opposed to successful. The only time we [Christo and Jeanne-Claude] use the word successful is when we obtain the permit."

"The Gates" consisted of 7,503 saffron-colored vinyl gates--each 16 feet high and hung with saffron-fabric panels--placed at 12-foot intervals over 23 miles of pedestrian walkways that lace the park. Like all of the artists' works, it was only temporary in hopes of creating an "urgency to see 'The Gates' and the love and tenderness brought by the fact that it will not last." February was the chosen month for this particular installation because it is the only one during which there are no leaves on the trees. This way the artwork can be seen from farther distances and different angles throughout Central Park. Saffron was the chosen color because it refracted the greatest variety of hues and tones. Jeanne-Claude explains, "The color has no significance, only an aesthetic appeal. When wet, the fabric turns a deep red, while its neighboring gate turns golden from the UV rays catching the fabric while the wind is tossing it upward."

But what drew Christo and Jeanne-Claude to New York? Out of all the cities around the world, Christo and Jeanne-Claude felt a special connection to New York. "When our son, Cyril, was a little boy, we used to take him to Central Park every day--he loved to climb the beautiful rocks. Central Park was a part of our life," they explain on www.nyc.gov/thegates.> Christo and Jeanne-Claude wanted to give back to the city in which they have rived and raised a child for 41 years. "The joy and beauty of the waving saffron colors" was the artists' gift to New York.

And indeed it was a gift. The artists used their own money, from start to finish, for this grand installation. In fact, the two always use their own money in their projects and do not accept any sponsorships or grants because they "want to work in total freedom." The what, when and how is exactly in their control--this way they can create the work as it was originally imagined.

The entire $21 million project was financed by the artists through their C.V. J. Corporation with the sale of preparatory drawings and collages created by Christo to depict what the project would look like installed. These works were then sold directly to museums, private collectors and galleries. In addition, earlier works from the '50s and '60s were sold to help fund this project. Therefore, the money raised was their own, hence allowing the artists to use it however they wished. They paid for such things as wind-tunnel tests, materials, engineering, legal fees, labor and insurance.

The artists donated all the merchandising rights to the nonprofit organization Nurture New York's Nature, Inc. (NNYN) as part of their gift to the city. All proceeds went to NNYN--the artists will not receive any revenue from the merchandise sold. Further, they are sharing the proceeds with The Central Park Conservancy.