ugh, this kind of pretentious art sucks! $21 million bucks for a bunch of dye, fabric, and heavy stuff. I dunno, I guess it's pretty and different and certainly unique but at the end of the day is it really THAT special? Not to me. But then again I'm not an art critic, for if I were, I'd probably wear clothes that matched!

J-Sin, I respectfully disagree. Having walked through the park, it's astoundingly beautiful and striking. You might still not like it - but i recommend seeing it first. Also, Christo and Jeanne Claude did not have a 'message' behind their art because they did not want to make it pretentious. Part of installation art is have a neat visual effect. It's amazing how the gates make everything around it gray, and the orange is that much more vibrant. I understand being turned off by the too abstract art, but in this case, they just wanted to create a neat visual effect - which i think it accomplishes successfully. Also, part of the reason it's such an expensive project is the cost of legal fees as well as using only environmentally friendly products and environmental consultants as not to disrupt the eco-systems C&JC utilise. My two cents :)

I'm sure that one could think my opinion (and others like me) are similar to former Mayor Guiliani valiantly and ignorantly withdrawing funding due to Chris Ofili's "The Holy Virgin Mary" art piece, which of course was made of elephant dung. But unlike that piece I don't think it was about shock as the better intepretation/meaning/message was of her dark skin color rather than it's substance. Everyone has different opinions, but you must admit that Christo and Jeanne are attention hounds, regardless of their intentions. One could argue that's a result of their artwork but there's plenty of other art revolutionaries that don't make such glaringly obvious gestures to obtuseness, which can easily be confused and compared to utter pretentiousness. I guess that's the beauty (somewhat) of abstract art. But I definitely think they have a message, it's: "HEY THERE, HOW YOU DOING, PAY ATTENTION AND TALK ABOUT US!"

Sure it's not screamed to us in faux neon, but it's just as offensive--New York has plenty of beauty and to them, they seemingly use cities or places as if they're not pretty enough but have to be augmented by their supposed genius. Yawn! Has any of their artwork not been accompanied by a huge media blizkreig? I don't have a problem with the art itself as much as I have a problem with the lame media annoyance that seems to follow these two characters in whatever place they deem worthy of annoying politicans and townsfolk into submitting to their quizzical, colorful drapings.

But I'd willingly invite them to do one of their drapings in my backyard--then again it probably wouldn't make the front pages of the New York Times now would it? Heck, I'd even let them have some of my beer and sit on my couch! ;)

Again, I respectfully disagree. I don't think that C&JC are publicity whores, not at least of what i've learned about them over the years. But that's not the point. Abstract/Modern art is not like classical art, where the appreciation isn't rooted in studying the movement per se. With Modern art things are a bit different - one's appreciation is developed via the learning of the movement, the influences, and so on. It's one thing to dislike a piece of art, it's another to discount it all together. To disqualify it entirely suggests a very thorough understanding of not only the work, but the whole oeuvre of the artist, the context in which he/she create the work, influences, and so on. However, if you dislike something, there need not be a logical justification for it.

I don't dislike the "art" as much as the artists. They barf up hubris...and we're supposed to jaunt alongside them because they modern art geniuses? nah, in the immortal words of the same artist we're discussing:

"Our works are temporary in order to endow the works of art with a feeling of urgency to be seen, and the love and tenderness brought by the fact that they will not last. Those feelings are usually reserved for other temporary things such as childhood and our own life..."

and you say that's not all publicity? bah not only is it arrogant to suggest that your artwork be as essential in emotion as our childhood but it's words wrapped in saffron hype. And not the point? I think that art reflects the artist and vice versa, and I can't shake the fact that in the immortal words of one Holden Caulfield, "they're phonies!" :)

And sorry to Katybeck for clogging up her blog with my innane and extraordinarily uneducated art critiques. Maybe I'm just annoyed that it won't be there when my own trip to the Big Apple for Opening Day. Besides if they took me up on their offer, they'd totally do this like 'merican flag thing in my backyard since that's the only colors we adhere to in these here Red State parts...

J-Sin, I won't argue with you - clearly we are talking about two very different things. And there was no Red State slur anywhere in my tone, so not sure what the point of bringing it up was. Katybeck is cool with comments, otherwise, why would she post these?

Yikes, calm down! I was busting on my very own Virginia, which is unfortunately a major red state. I guess all I was trying to get at was that their art seems more inclined to the nonsensical publicity hounding than it is for some higher power of artistic clarity. It's a major turn off for me. Anyways how often do you get to say "barf up hubris"? ;)

I think it's pretty. Although it would be better in pink.

The color is great. For safety's sake, the artists chose blaze orange so the gates wouldn't be mistaken for deer in the middle of hunting season.

That's what I like: nice, safety-conscious artists.

Kate, I think you've officially won the award for the shortest post:longest comments ratio... :>

Although, instead of safety orange, maybe Jean-Claude and Christo were showing their support for the new president of Ukraine! Long live Yushchenko!

You guys posted so much I had to change my templates to display it all.. :)

All this discussion makes me wish I could at least SEE the gates, instead of reading everyone else's comments and opinions. I think one of the more interesting aspects of the project is how its paid for... by the sale of numerous embellished photos, plans and diagrams of the work as its in development. Those are actually more intriguing to me than the actual installation. They seem more what I think of as "art" than the supposed "art."

Way to react quickly Katy!! :-)

I like them. I also like all there other works.

Keith Olbermann's comments about The Gates (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6844293/#050212a) perfectly captures my thoughts as well.