The Gates in Central Park
No, I haven't been there to see them. I tried to score a free trip to New York by whoring my son in the Regis and Kelly Beautiful Baby contest and apparently Myles is not Regis and Kelly worthy. I didn't tell him I entered him because I knew the disappointment over not meeting Kelly would be too much for him. So, no, I haven't been to NY.
I won't even try to comment on what they are trying to do or how I like it or hate it. Over at Modern Arts Notes there will be more of that kind of thing if you are interested, maybe even his own review.
I actually have a weird, non-educated criticism. I know that for art in this country New York is still considered where it's at (though Collette had briefly flirted with the idea a few years ago to go to LA when galleries in NY were closing after 9/11 and bascially, for a gallerist, people were still spending money on art in LA). But with Christo and Jean-Claude choosing NY for this project, as part of a free and democratic vision of art, I have to wonder about how free and democratic it is. Is New York the only city worthy of public art? Are the rest of us stuck with statues of Peanuts? Fiberglass dinosaurs and pigs? Is this really about increasing tourism to NYC--if so I would like to see the numbers when it is all said and done. My theory, yet unproven, is that most people that vacation to NYC go when they can, and see what is available. Maybe a some number or art world folks will get up to NY in February when they otherwise wouldn't. If I were in a position to do so, I would challenge artists with the kind of vision of Christo and Jean-Claude to seek out small cities, small towns even, to take over entire neighborhoods or towns with this sort of ambitious project. I would then challenge the smaller municipalities to have the courage to allow even seek out something like this.
But I am not in a position to do either. I am just sitting at my parents', typing this, while my son is fascinated with Sesame Street for 5 minutes :-)
I won't even try to comment on what they are trying to do or how I like it or hate it. Over at Modern Arts Notes there will be more of that kind of thing if you are interested, maybe even his own review.
I actually have a weird, non-educated criticism. I know that for art in this country New York is still considered where it's at (though Collette had briefly flirted with the idea a few years ago to go to LA when galleries in NY were closing after 9/11 and bascially, for a gallerist, people were still spending money on art in LA). But with Christo and Jean-Claude choosing NY for this project, as part of a free and democratic vision of art, I have to wonder about how free and democratic it is. Is New York the only city worthy of public art? Are the rest of us stuck with statues of Peanuts? Fiberglass dinosaurs and pigs? Is this really about increasing tourism to NYC--if so I would like to see the numbers when it is all said and done. My theory, yet unproven, is that most people that vacation to NYC go when they can, and see what is available. Maybe a some number or art world folks will get up to NY in February when they otherwise wouldn't. If I were in a position to do so, I would challenge artists with the kind of vision of Christo and Jean-Claude to seek out small cities, small towns even, to take over entire neighborhoods or towns with this sort of ambitious project. I would then challenge the smaller municipalities to have the courage to allow even seek out something like this.
But I am not in a position to do either. I am just sitting at my parents', typing this, while my son is fascinated with Sesame Street for 5 minutes :-)
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