Now, though I have never actually seen one of Christo's often controversial installations in person, I've often dismissed them as superfluous wanksterism. I'm sure you remember when he wrapped islands in pink fabric or when the artist wrapped the Reichstag like a baked potato. Maybe you recall The Umbrellas, an istallation that was rather odd in that it was out in the middle of nowhere. I, have always looked on these projects as mostly irrelevant at best and super-sized vanity pieces at worst. Perhaps the were.

The Gates has been the punchline of many jokes here for the past few weeks. What can I say? We're jaded New Yorkers. But this project, the first I've ever experienced in person, was something of a revelation to me. I have to admit, I went to the park today completely prepared to sneer down my nose at all this foolishness, yet I left the park with an ear-to-ear grin and a renewed appreciation for the value of using public space to tweak and challenge the perceptions and expectations of those who so often take such a space for granted. I'm not the only one who seems to appreciate what happened today in Central Park. From the Times:

In a Saffron Ribbon, a Billowy Gift to the City

From the Times, that's pretty strong. I have to confess though that I'm not entirely convinced that they're wrong. Joy is a word I would use to describe the happenings in the park. Today was a rather overcast and windy day with a temp of about 40F and the park was absolutely filled with people. And what a mix of folks it was. I saw a a gentleman who looked like a depression era cartoon capitalist in a top hat and his wife strolling through the park (something I got the impression they don't often do) along with downtown art punks and pipefitters from queens who had been dragged out by their wives, Wall street types wandering under the saffron gates side by side with whole Puerto Rican families, curious folks from Jersey and tourists from around the globe, a melange of people young and old, rich and poor, all of them basking in this oddly wonderful experience. This does not happen nearly as often as it should, not even here in the Big Apple.