Critical Analysis

I know that a lot of people are probably going to do their critical analysis on "The Gates Project" by Christo and Jean-Claude, but I just found it simply amazing. I have never thought of art being portrayed this way at such a large scale. I mean I guess when I think about it there are huge pieces of art that we enjoy, but usually they are permanent statues, buildings, or monuments. This work was different. It was created at great expense and it was temporary. (It was only displayed for a matter of weeks.) It was funded completely by money that the artist couple raised themselves and I think that is a huge accomplishment in it of itself considering the millions upon millions of dollars that this project absorbed.

Now I read about a lot of the contrasting opinions that people had concerning this massive art project and I found them very interesting. Some felt it was beautiful and just a delight that the artists would bring such a masterpiece to there beloved park and make it even more beautiful. Some people just saw it as a tourist attraction and an excuse to get out with the family and marvel at the scene. Other's thought it was a giant waste of money and didn't see the purpose or the beauty of the project.

This is my opportunity to do a little "critical analysis" and let you know what I think and tell you where I fall on this scale of opinions:

I think this project was absolutely, positively wonderful. I haven't been the biggest student or fan of art. I don't follow it in the news...obviously because I missed hearing or seeing this project two years ago. It's amazing that something that is so beautiful and massive that cost over 20 million dollars to create can be completely ignored, but somehow I was oblivious to its existence. I'm just glad that I was able to finally appreciate it. Now, I didn't get to see it in person, but we do have some amazing pictures to view and reviews to read.

There are lots of different photos of "The Gates," but I wanted to do my analysis on the one that I found most fascinating. This photo of the gates is so amazing to me. I don't even know where to begin. The first thing that seems to catch my eye is the vibrant color of the saffron contrasted against the white, white color of the snow in the park. I think the color of the fabric is beautiful and loud. It demands attention. An amazing fact about the saffron fabric is that it is ever-changing...depending on the time of day that you view the project the fabric can look different. You might see a silvery glow during the sunrise, or a burst of bright orange when the sun is beaming through the fabric. When sunset and then night falls upon the park you are viewing a completely different scene, aren't you?

The point is that the gates can be enjoyed again and again. The artists intended it to be that way. You can't appreciate the whole scene from one location. You can see the beauty of the snow, or the lake, or the entrance to the park, or my personal favorite, the New York skyline over the tops of the trees with the gates winding around. I love the beauty and meaning that can be found in this particular photograph. To me, it seems like the gates are acting as both a path connecting the park to the city and also perhaps a dividing line. In the picture, there is a saffron line dividing the building from the park or nature from the city. The park itself shows that nature and metropolitan life can co-exist and by doing so everything becomes more beautiful.

I also love that this project was during the winter time in the city. I do believe that it would be beautiful during any season, but the dead of winter makes the project come alive. Everything in this picture looks cold and a little sad. The buildings look almost frozen in place and the lake is very still. The saffron gates just make this picture come to life! It's like seeing a gorgeous golden poppy somehow managing to grow on top of a hill covered in snow. It's not something that you would probably ever see, but we are seeing that same effect happen here. It's almost a symbol of spring time coming early to relieve the city from the snow and bitter cold.

I think it is important to touch on the fact that the project has also a very important historical aspect that ties it to New York City and more specifically Central Park. On the website it mentions that the park was originally intended to have gates at all the entrances that would allow the city to lock the park at night, but the design of the gates was not approved by the designers and so the park to this day is left open. Art very often times can be connected to history and it is a powerful thing. It reminds us where we came from and helps us remember the origins of everything we hold dear that very often gets taken for granted. Works such as this gates project also show respect for the past as we recognize that we owe a lot to those that came before us and they may be a memory, but they are not forgotten.

Before I conclude my analysis, I would just like to say that no matter your opinion on this project we need to all have open hearts and minds and even if we don't like a work of art, or if we would have done something completely different if we had the same amount of time and resources available...we still need to appreciate the fact that people are out there and they are expressing themselves and that in it of itself is beautiful. That's what art is all about: expressing yourself.

Thanks,
Matt