Some good art
In the last few years, I've
learned a lot about art. This is mainly due to my wife's influence. I'm certainly
no expert. I would not be able to intelligently discuss the actual merits of
any art piece with someone halfway knowledgeable. But I have my own understanding
of the purpose and value of artistic expression. To me, art is an expression
of something that words can't express. It communicates on an emotional level
or, if the artist is especially skillful, on a spiritual level. I think we
produce art because it gives us a connection to God—we bear the image of our
Creator
and when we create we recognize that part of ourselves. Excellent art gives
the artist a new understanding of his own relationship with God, and truly
great
art does the same for people who see it.
Mrs. Happy and I saw an art installation this past weekend that did nothing
for my spirit but still produced a powerful emotional impact. The Gates in
Central Park (Manhattan, New York) was the most recent collaboration between
the artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude. Known for their immense-scale, temporary
pieces, the artists arranged to have 7,500 curtains hung across 23 miles of
trails in the park that provides New York City with the vast majority of its
flora. You can click the small images here to view the full photographs (taken
by me and my wife, so we're not violating any copyright) and see the visual
effect of what they call The Gates. C&JC's
Web site speaks all sorts
of pretentious blather concerning how
The geometric grid pattern of the hundreds city blocks surrounding Central Park is reflected in the rectangular structure of the commanding and sculptural saffron colored vinyl poles, while the serpentine design of the walkways and the organic shape of the bare branches of the trees is mirrored in the continuously changing rounded and sensual movements of the free flowing fabric panels moving in the wind.
I call it pretentious blather because if that's what they were trying to communicate,
it's pretty silly in my opinion. I want to give them the benefit of the doubt,
though, and assume that they have to include nonsensical verbiage to maintain
their credibility within the art world. If they stated that they wanted to
"help people to rediscover a familiar old park in a fresh new way," they would
be laughed out of town like MCF at
a fashion show. Instead, they must say that
For those who walk through The Gates, following the walkways, the saffron colored fabric is a golden ceiling creating warm shadows When seen from the buildings surrounding Central Park, The Gates seem like a golden river appearing and disappearing through the bare branches of the trees and highlighting the shape of the meandering footpaths.*
I wonder if they realized the contradiction in the phrase warm shadows, especially in February in New York. The Gates reminded me neither of gold nor ceilings, but rather orange shower curtains. But I'm commenting on their pontification and not their actual work, which I loved.
I've heard a lot of people criticize The Gates for various reasons. You can say the project was wasteful, indulgent, meaningless, ugly, condescending, intrusive, and "the stupidest thing I've ever heard of," but when I walked into Central Park on Saturday, I saw something good. I saw New Yorkers being happy. Perhaps you have heard of New Yorkers' reputation for crabby impatience. I assure you it's accurate. But under those "gates," people smiled and laughed. They accidentally got in each other's way and said, "Excuse me," and "No problem." They photographed each other. They sang to their children and shared their sense of wonder. Mrs. Happy and I walked through the park with friends we hadn't seen in nearly a year. It was a truly a wonderful experience.
* All quotes are taken straight from C&J-C's Web site, and all typos belong to them.
