the gates to hell

Someone thought it would be "neat" to line the sidewalks in Central Park with orange curtains hanging from metal arches. When I arrived at the park today, I saw what I had expected: droves of tourists and Manhattanites gandering at these things as if God himself was playing a game of dominos. <B>I don't see what the big fucking deal is.</B> They're boring. I thought each would be decorated differently, or at least bear a different colored curtain, but to that regard, the artists failed, IMO.

Rather, the beauty lies in the sheer number of "gates" surrounding the park, and, when viewed from certain areas, they branch in all directions like the roots of a tree. Enjoy!

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My favorite shot, now my desktop background.<BR>
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I guess there were going to build more?<BR>
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The Intrepid carrier museum is badass, btw. They moved the Blackbird to the very edge of the deck, right above the West Side Highway.

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Well, they do add color to a drab winter landscape.....one color.
Is this a Cristo thing? Who paid for it?
I imagine with all the digital and phone cameras out there, this is already the best documented "work of art" in history. :biggrin:

Sr-71 = woody [SIZE=1]grunt grunt[/SIZE]

xoxoxoBruce wrote:

Is this a Cristo thing?[size=1][/size]

Yeah. I think he paid for it, too.

Doesn't take much to rally the Upper West Siders these days.

They came. They saw. They trembled and wept at the inexpressable beauty then looked around to see who else was looking and all they saw were other people looking around to see who was looking. And they agreed: Beautiful!

Nice orange color. I'm sorry, did I say orange? I meant {clenches teeth} [FONT=Garamond]Saaaaaaafron[/FONT].

Saffron? That ain't the color of the saffron I eat and I eat the real deal. :)
Must be BN's camera.

xoxoxoBruce wrote:

Saffron? That ain't the color of the saffron I eat and I eat the real deal. :)
Must be BN's camera.

That's supposed to be saffron? It looks more like ... rust to me.

My camera doesn't do well with bright colors (Sony P8). The sun was out when I left my apartment (on bike), but it got overcast when I arrived at the park. Bleh.

So, two friends were visiting from Atlanta, and after brunch, what did they want to do? Of course, go see the gates in Central Park. I had already shown them my photos and assured them there wasn't much else to see, but I was overruled 3-1. I spent my Sunday in urban guerrilla combat. :(

breakingnews wrote:

<B>I don't see what the big fucking deal is.</B>

:eek: butbut... the amount of steel used for those gates is two thirds of what was used for Eiffel tower!!! (fact)


Tsk. No appreciation for art.

;)

This was just on Sixty Minutes.

Apparently Cristo doesn't accept money for any of his installations ... but finances them by selling the concept drawings and plans.

Montmorency wrote:

:eek: butbut... the amount of steel used for those gates is two thirds of what was used for Eiffel tower!!! (fact)

;)

The steel won't be wasted, they'll be distributed as gallows..........
and saffron shrouds. :biggrin:

I'm usually a fan of these types of artistic ventures, but this one does nothing for me. Probably because of the color--I hate orange, particularly this shade of orange. But I guess if you tune out the specifics and focus on the "big picture" it has a pretty interesting visual effect.

And here I was expecting something tasteful in wrought iron, with an Italian motto over the gates.

Our Loose Park here in KC (it would be Central Park if KC was a lot bigger) got the Christo treatment back in the 70's.

I've always been a bit neutral on his work, although I must say that certain things have been quite striking.

I don't really like it. Whether it's cloudy, dreary, and without color, I see trees as complex and wonderful things themselves. I think it's horrible that the only reason why 75% of those people that you see flocked there are there for the man-made boring drapes. I've been to the park numerous times, about as many times as I can fit before i need to leave. I think these drapes are just taking away from the natural beauty of the park.

I saw 'Cristo' and his wife on good Morning America. His wife was doing all the talking but he was lipsinking every word as it came out of her mouth. It was THE most bizzar thing. (not to mention her hair is also the color of 'safron')

It was noted on 60 Minutes that he starts sentences, and she finishes them.

That makes me think of the Chinese Kungfu movie with lots of flags.

Yeah I can picture walking onder these flaps and crouching tiger or hidden dragon comes out of nowhere. :eek:

Okay, this article about the Gates summarizes everything that is astoundingly wrong with New Yorkers. They try too hard. All of them. No one is secure enough to develop his own opinion, much less express it.

"I'm here because I really wanted to say that I had seen it," Aller said, standing on an outcropping of rocks that offered an impressive view of "The Gates" swirling through the south end of the park.

Because that's obviously why I went to see a bunch of orange (yes, orange) fabric flailing from metal beams like my long underwear back in the plains of Kansas.

"Everyone's talking about it," she said. "You know, because we need it, our souls need it -- the beauty which this brings."

Are you serious?

breakingnews wrote:

Okay, this article about the Gates summarizes everything that is astoundingly wrong with New Yorkers. They try too hard. All of them. No one is secure enough to develop his own opinion, much less express it.

Well, "all of them" is obviously not true, and if you remove that, it applies to just about everywhere.

I read in Smithsonian that the counterweights/anchors are steel but the uprights and crossbar are actually square plastic tube. :confused:

It's kind of like being a little kid in a room full of ladies with pleated skirts.

That would probably be to make them bottom heavy, and less likely to fall over.

They were wind tunnel tested, also. :)

breakingnews wrote:

Because that's obviously why I went to see a bunch of orange (yes, orange) fabric flailing from metal beams like my long underwear back in the plains of Kansas.

I realize now that was supposed to say something like, "my long underwear swaying on a clothesline ..."

Shit. I suck.

I knew exactly what you meant, does that mean I suck too? ;)

Billy wrote:

That makes me think of the Chinese Kungfu movie with lots of flags.

Hmmm... maybe Jackie Chan could remove the eyesores.

They're not as numerous as I thought. :headshake
You can see the whole park here(2500kb)

Orange, and color theory yes I agree the Gates first Impression to me were just that
the gates of hell and they do look like Car racing flags too, Budhas new line of
robes (Buddhists love orange, ) and Orange you glad to see me...
I observe color theory, movement and gestures especially in Rosemaries baby
I did notice she had Orange and Yellow curtains in her kitchen... she always wore
blue she was a good girl , but on the days she felt ill dark maroons, and orange
the night she concieved the beast! Any research on this for real?

Carrots, leading you in to help you make a desirable exit.
Perhaps orange is the color of a lifesaver, warning you about your entrance
like safety cones along the highway.

Witches in Wichita,
theres no place like home!
Did you forget a broom?

I met a witch from Seskatchewan, CA , we were getting tons of hang ups at home
I felt like I was in Witch Central...
Any body hear of any phenomenas with Witches who are powerful enough
to zing the internet, or phone lines? What about Witchita... All of them Witches
EWOKS.aol.com
anyone else ever see this? wichita, KS

yeah, I remember my first beer...

Nurse, stat meds please. Trilogy.

xoxoxoBruce wrote:

It's kind of like being a little kid in a room full of ladies with pleated skirts.

God! Bruce, Those were the days! sniffle, sniffle. :bawling:

The Sommerville Gates cost slightly less than 'The Gates' in Central Park in New York...but every bit as impressive. :p