Yes He Does

I don't think that grand size is the point of Christo's art.

I think a primary objective is getting the public to see things
differently when a monument/landscape that has become
an institutional part of society's vision is temporarily
concealed or altered.  I think that's a pretty brilliant idea.  

I know many people who, like you, think this is a crazy
waste of money when there is so much need in the world.  
In some ways, I agree.  However, there is a lot of wealth
in the world that could be redirected and isn't, and unfortunately
probably never will be.  Christo not realizing his vision wouldn't
change that.  To the extent that his art challenges people
to look at the world more closely and maybe differently, I
think its brilliant and deserving of its place.

I hope The Gates is so amazing that you'll get a little bit
converted!

Sarah Van Norden
Health & Human Development Programs
Educational Development Center, Inc.
55 Chapel Street
Newton, Massachusetts  02458-1060
Phone (617) 618-2333

Visiting from Chicago

An elderly couple from Chicago talk about visiting The Gates.

Volunteers Have All the Fun

A volunteer talks about the fun he's had over the course of the last week.

Loving Public Art

Three women from Chicago who asked Andy to take a group pictures for them reciprocate the favor by talking about The Gates.

Sitting in the Sculpture Garden

A man posts a voicemail from the sculpture garden. "It's very, very beautiful," he says.

Walking with Christo and Jeanne-Claude to their Limo

Andy walks along with Christo and Jeanne-Claude as they are followed by paparazzi and fans to their limo. (Turn up your volume to hear it - I had to whisper so I wouldn't irritate the artists.) - andy

Accompanying Christo and Jeanne-Claude to the Lake

By sheer coincidence, I was hanging around at the lake and saw Christo and Jeanne-Claude arrive in their limos. They came down to where I had been standing to view the Gates from across the lake, so I recorded this audio as I walked downhill with them. Note Jeanne-Claude getting angry at paparazzi for photographing her rather than The Gates. :-) -andy

A Volunteer Gets Injured

Andy witnesses a volunteer cut his eyelid when a cardboard roll hit his face while unfurling a gate.

Mayor Bloomberg Chats with the Crowd

Andy sees Mayor Bloomberg chat with visitors.

Bloomberg: "Art is Anything You Want it to be"

Mayor Bloomberg tells a visitor, "Art is anything you want it to be." He also encourages them to spend a lot of money while they're in town. -ac

Mayor Bloomberg: "I Think It's Gonna Be Great for the City"

Andy meets Mayor Bloomberg as he chats with a reporter about his impressions of The Gates and unfurling the first gate.

Random Conversations at the Unfurling

Andy walks amongst the crowd that gathered for the official unfurling, talking to visitors and volunteers, including a group from San Diego that previously attended Christo's wrapping of the Reichstag in Berlin.

A Haunting Orange

It's two minutes after the first unfurling and the crowd is shifting to the right each time a new flag is unfurled. "They now have four of them unfurled and they're just about to unfurl a fifth one.... The flags themselves are beautiful... The sun is directly behind one of them right now and so it's glowing a haunting orange."

Crispy Creme Donuts, Hot Chocolate and Golden Retrievers

Andy finally stumbles upon the official unveiling of The Gates, where hundreds of people are waiting for the first flag to be unfurled.

Getting My Bearings in Central Park

Andy arrives at the southern end of Central Park, a few minutes before 8am.

"I'm now standing below one of over seven thousands gates scattered throughout the park.... I'm just gonna stroll around for a while and get my bearings."

A Very Gramercy Breakfast

Eating breakfast at the Gramercy Cafe 90 minutes prior to the official kick-off of The Gates.