Christo and JeanneClaude

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Christo and Jeanne-Claude
The Gates
Central Park New York City 1979-2005
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A local connection
Insert photo of ticket here
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Who are Christo and Jeanne-Claude?

• Fabric artists (NOT wrapping artists)
• Husband and wife, as well as co-creators
• Have a 40-year history of creating public art
  installations
• He was born in Bulgaria, she in Morocco
• Have been NYC residents for 40 years

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A long time in the planning

• The Gates was first proposed in 1979 and was
  rejected
• The original plan called for drilling holes in
  the ground to support the structures
• A modified plan was approved by Mayor Bloomberg
  on January 22, 2003

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Fast Facts about The Gates

• Number of gates 7,503
• Height of each gate 16 feet
• Number of feet the fabric hangs off the ground -
  7
• Tons of steel - 5,290 tons (2/3 the amount of
  steel used in the Eiffel Tower)
• Miles of vinyl tubing 60
• Square feet of saffron fabric 1,067,330
• Number of bolts 165,000

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Fast Facts about The Gates, continued

• Miles of walking paths covered 23
• Years in planning project 26
• Number of days The Gates will remain in Central
  Park 16
• Number of workers to install and monitor 1200
• (Estimated) dollars spent on project 20 million
• Number of factories that prepared materials 8
  (6 in USA, 2 in Germany)

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Thoughts from Christo and Jeanne-Claudeon their
artwork
This material is excerpted from a 2002 interview
with Eye Level, A Quarterly Journal of
Contemporary Visual Culture

• On labeling their artwork
• (J-C) Christo and I believe that labels are
  very important, but for bottles of wine, not for
  artists.
• On what they want to provoke in people who view
  their work
• (J-C) We want to create works of art of joy
  and beauty, which we will build because we
  believe it will be beautiful.
• On why their artwork is temporary
• (J-C) The fact that the work does not remain
  creates an urgency to see it. For instance, if
  someone were to tell you, Oh, look on the right,
  there is a rainbow. You will never answer, I
  will look at it tomorrow.

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(More) Thoughts from Christo and Jeanne-Claude on
their artwork
This material is excerpted from a 2002 interview
with Eye Level, A Quarterly Journal of
Contemporary Visual Culture

• On why they do not accept grants, sponsorships,
  etc. for their artwork
• (C) Our work is a scream of freedom
• On why they are viewed as controversial artists
• (J-C) That is a great compliment because we
  are 66 years old and to be still today called
  controversial makes us feel so young. Its
  marvelous!
• On whether their work is art or engineering
• (C) If you imagine two ironworkers with their
  hardhats and a forklift, lifting giant slabs of
  steel, now is that construction work or is is
  Alexander Calder preparing a sculpture?

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Thoughts from Christo and Jeanne-Claude on The
Gates
This material is excerpted from a 2005 interview
with The New York Times

• On the meaning of The Gates
• (J-C) It has no purpose. It is not a symbol.
  It is not a message. It is only a work of art.
• (J-C) Its meaning would have to be found by
  those who walked through the 7,500 gates, spread
  over 23 miles of walkways.
• (C) This project is not involved with talk.
  It is real physical space. You need to spend
  time walking in the cold air sunny day, rainy
  day, even snow. It is not necessary to talk.

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The Base of Operations (4 trailers)
Christo hurrying to command central
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Christo and Jeanne-Claude at our morning meeting
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Views of The Gates
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At dawn by Turtle Pond
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The Gates at dawn
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Reflections after a rain
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View from Belvedere Castle
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View from Belvedere Castle with skyline behind
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The Gates and shadows
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The Gates, sunspot, and wind
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Reflections in ice chunks at Turtle Pond
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The Gates gave dogs many new opportunities for
well, you know what
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Ambassadors for The Gates
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Tools for the ambassadors
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This is the reason for the poles and tennis
balls! With strong winds, the fabric flips over
the top.
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Reactions to The Gates
Excerpts from The New York Times February 15, 2005

• I was deeply moved by the opening of Christo
  and Jeanne-Claudes GatesLike many New
  Yorkers, I lost a dear friend on 9/11. More than
  three years later, a bold new public project was
  unfolding for the city, and the world. It truly
  is a sign of healing.

Tony Bilanow, New York February 13, 2005
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Reactions to The Gates
Excerpts from The New York Times February 15, 2005

• The Gates has transformed Central Park into a
  sea of man-made steel and fabric. I personally
  will be relieved when The Gates is removed and I
  can once again enjoy the natural beauty and
  simplicity of Central Park.

Judith Einsenber Pollak, New York February 13,
2005
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Reactions to The Gates
Excerpts from The New York Times February 15, 2005

• I saw form and movement and the spirit of
  artists who used a different medium to express
  that expression. I saw perseverance,
  cooperation, respect for the space in which they
  worked and beauty those feel like human values,
  and The Gates looks like art to me.

Eleanor L. Rose, Charlotte, N.C. February 13,
2005
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Reactions to The Gates
Excerpts from The New York Times February 15, 2005

• Surely I am not the only New Yorker who found
  the first great public art event of the 21st
  century to be evocative of nothing so much as 23
  miles of traffic cones.

Rudolf Delson, Brooklyn February 13, 2005
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Reactions to The Gates
Excerpts from The New York Times February 15, 2005

• Perhaps the most glorious pleasureis not so
  much the beauty and ingenuity of their work, but
  the magnificent canvas of diversity that is the
  people of New York City.

Marc Wallace, New Jersey February 12, 2005
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(No Transcript)
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Previous works by Christo and Jeanne-Claude
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MoCA, Wrapped Chicago, IL 1968-1969
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Running Fence Sonoma and Marin Counties,
California 1972-1976
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Surrounded Islands Biscayne Bay, Greater Miami,
Florida 1980-1983
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The Pont Neuf Wrapped Paris, France 1975-1985
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The Umbrellas Ibaraki, Japan and area northeast
of Los Angeles, California, USA 1984-1991
USA
Japan
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Wrapped Reichstag Berlin, Germany 1971-1995
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Financial info about The Gates

• The Gates is public art and free for all to enjoy
  without cost
• Christo and Jeanne-Claude donated all the
  property rights from The Gates to three
  organizations that support the parks in NYC. All
  merchandise sales (t-shirts, posters, etc.)
  benefit these groups.
• The sale of Christos original preparatory
  drawings and collages (30,000. to over
  600,000.) pay for The Gates

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Preparatory sketches of The Gates by Christo
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New Yorkers and tourists pay homage to SAFFRON
The Time-Warner Center hangs saffron fabric in
the lobby
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Saffron Scarves are the rage in Central Park
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The pretzel vendor is in the saffron spirit
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Saffron, saffron everywhere
Lincoln Automobile at Columbus Circle salutes The
Gates
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School children make saffron scarves for their
tour of The Gates
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Canines are also stylin in saffron
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Saffron!
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February 28, 2005
The Gates are uninstalled
All materials will be recycled
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Honoring The Gates in Rockford
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Whats next for Christo and Jeanne-Claude?
Preparatory drawings for Over the River, project
for Arkansas River, Colorado
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(No Transcript)
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Weyant from The New Yorker