Christo's 'The Gates' reel in 254 million dollars for NYC

[underpants]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/afplifestyleusart

NEW YORK (AFP) - "The Gates," an epic outdoor art display of gates draped with saffron-colored fabric by artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude zigzagging through Central Park for two weeks, generated 254 million dollars for New York City, mayor Michael Bloomberg said.

"The Gates showcased Central Park and New York City to visitors from around the globe and promoted tourism to the 'Worlds Second Home'," Bloomberg said.

"Innovative public art has the ability to evoke discussion and debate. We are pleased with the excitement and economic activity The Gates generated throughout the entire city. I would like to thank Christo and Jeanne-Claude for their patience and tenacity in realizing their dream and sharing The Gates with all of us."


The total cost of their project, including cleaning up afterwards, has been estimated at 21 million dollars -- a price tag that will be met entirely by the artists.

[gratuitous]

1. But it's a defacement of Central Park!

You know what New York City should do with that $254 million? Throw it right in Christo's face!

[JitterbugPerfume]

2. I guess beautyis in the eye of the beholder

but I thought THE GATES was ugly

[Webster Green]

4. Christo is truly one of the great artists of our time....

He is a genius. His art inspires so many people.

Art is pretty subjective stuff ain't it?

Oh, by the way, your favorite band sucks!

[b...]

6. what defacement?

was putting some flags up temporarily in the middle of MAN MADE central park really defacement?

it's not the natural park many say it is.

you know what defacement in a park REALLY is?
tavern on the green
boathouse restaurant
cars driving through a park, polluting the air

start railing against that!

birds and squirrels (the parks natural residents) seemed to be hardly affected by all this, plus they probably got some extra snacks from the millions of tourists who came in...

[GodlessBiker]

8. Indeed! Beautiful man-made art in a beautiful man-made park

was totally appropriate and amazing to see. It was spectacular!!

[gratuitous]

10. Hee, hee, hee

Sorry folks, I guess the joke was a little too "in." There was a discussion here a week or so ago with a poster in NYC who felt that Christo's set-up was a horrible defacement of the holy ground of Central Park.

I thought it was a lot of hand-wringing over very little, considering the temporary nature of the exhibit, and now that it's raked in over a quarter billion dollars for the city, I'm curious to see the what the poster thinks about it now.

Although, as I said then, if Christo is seen poking around my beloved Multnomah Falls, there could be heck to pay! Especially if Christo thinks he's going to get me to spring for pecan pie and coffee at the lodge.

[b...]

11. the joke is on me...

...but the sentiment remains the same!

;)

[NashVegas]

26. *sigh*

note to self:

do not post to DU immediately upon waking from a nap.
read the whole damn thread.

[gratuitous]

28. Sure glad I haven't done that

Today.

[jmowreader]

21. This looks like total spending in NYC, not income to the government

Someone comes to NYC to look at Christo's latest ugly-ass sculpture, he'll get a room, eat in restaurants, take a cab or public transportation, maybe do some shopping.

This isn't the Total Economic Impact of The Gates. IIRC, they say each dollar will roll over six times before it's been diffused into the larger economy. Go to a restaurant and order a sub. The restaurant owner has to buy another sub roll, some more meat and cheese, pay his employees and his facility costs, and so on and so forth. The baker has to buy more ingredients, pay HIS employees and so on. Some of the baker's employees will go to that sub shop and buy subs themselves.

Anyway, it's a big chunk of change and it's all estimates.

[NashVegas]

24. oh Feh!

Two weeks and they're gone.

That's 254 million dollars NY raised without selling advertising space on public buildings.

No message to sell, just maybe a few fits of giggles brought on by one suddenly finding oneself surrounded by unexplainable, flowing color.

Some people need to grow up. You might consider youthing down.

[Renew Deal]

35. No it wasn't.

Admit you were wrong about the project and move on.

[quiet.american]

3. Thought they were great

Very cheerful, free, discussion-provoking and made money for the city. Kudos to Christos.

[b...]

5. exactly, naysayers be damned

oh but they could have built a hospital with that money!

puh-lease! and bush could've paid for every child's college education but instead went to war...

the gates is a huge success!
stunning!

i've never seen so many people walking in tranquility in central park in FEBRUARY! families with babies, and dogs! it was so good to get everyone outside and out of the apartments.

and i met so many people from around the world (but many many from germany)

it was truly excellent.

the orange was beautiful in the snow. it was wonderful. kicked the winter duldrums in the butt, made me want to wander around in 15 degrees temperatures.

the tourists were (this one time) wonderful to have in town. the locals walked a bit slower.

nobody could have made this city stop and smell the roses more than christo just did. what an effort!

and to people still asking why orange? why not?
it's new york! home of orange
*it's on our state flag
*on the mets/knicks uniforms
*it reminded me of the orange alert new years eve, when we stuck out our collective middle finger at phony terror threats, and paraded in times square in orange hats/scarfs/etc.

hoorah for the gates

and they're still up, dismantling will take some time...

[yellowcanine]

7. Over a 10 fold return? Hey George! Can I invest my SS in Christo?

Heh.

[lowreed]

9. The gates effen rocked!!!

We loved them.
The RNC defaced NYC!

[rocktivity]

12. How did they arrive at such a figure?

Was there an admission charge I don't know about? Am I supposed to believe that people traveled from the world over to see a bunch of organe sheets in a park?

:headbang:
rocknation

[b...]

13. yup

believe it.

you've never seen CP so crowded. not even on the nicest day in summer could you have found more people roaming through central park.

[b...]

14. the really nice was...

...the places he had done before (notably france and germany), the people that lived there came over and saw this.

i've never met so many germans. they were everywhere

for 254 million, all you need is a million people coming here spending a couple of hundred bucks. not really hard to imagine when you saw them all.

[all.of.me]

27. i wondered about that!

there were crowds of people in every picture i've seen of the gates! i used to live in ny, and i didn't recall the park ever being that crowded.

i thought it was a great exhibition, though. like you say, very colorful, esp for mid-winter, lovely in the snow, and i saw some beautiful backlit photos. it was very bright! i loved the color, too.

i was hoping it would stay long enough to show with leaves on the trees, but i see it's over. how long did it take to assemble? i wish i could get just one to put in my yard!

[b...]

29. it took one week to assemble...

and will take two weeks to take down (though at the arte they're going, may take longer)

then they are recycling all the materials they used.

so no gates for you... or for me... or for anyone

time to build our own

[all.of.me]

36. wow. that's amazing!

how many people were working on it?

[Orsino]

33. I still have to wonder...

...did The Gates actually draw visitors to the city, or did it simply re-route some traffic through Central Park?

I'm suspicious. Anyone know exactly how this alleged revenue was calculated/estimated? And who did the calculating/estimating?

[displacedtexan]

15. I'd like to see the area's crime rate stats for that time period.

I was there last Friday, and I've never seen so many folks talking to each other in CP! Everyone, especially those walking alone, had smiles and warm wishes for total strangers.

The only problem: not enough taxis! We waited almost 10 minutes outside The Ritz (the freakin' Ritz!) for a taxi. I don't think the city had any idea how much tourist trade would be generated.

[b...]

16. that's what subways are for...

...way more environmental
...a hell of a lot more safer

[pie]

23. That's amazing

Now I wish I had been there

[BrklynLiberal]

17. It was a wonderful experience. Cost the city $0, Made the city

$254 million, and is now gone without leaving a trace.
Those of us who saw it will remember a once in a lifetime experience with huge crowds of wonderful people who seemed to feel the same way.

[NYC]

25. It is not gone.

I went through Central Park last night. Many, many, many of the drapes are still there.

[anitar1]

31. Wish I Could Have Been There

I thought it was great.Have also enjoyed pictures of his othere works.An RW aquaintance was very upset about the display, labeling Christo a nut. Hard to understand why some were so angry about the display.

[BrklynLiberal]

18. Here is why they are saffron..and perhaps, the inspiration

In the areas of Central Park where there were evergreens, it did look like a Japanese Garden. It was lovely.





There are 30,000 or so Inari shrines around Japan; this is the head shrine. They are dedicated to the gods of rice and sake and associated in general with PROSPERITY and success in business. Foxes, who are connected with the HARVEST, are much in evidence.
At the entrace to the main shrine, there are huge red torii gates, flanked by large fox statues in red bibs. As you go up the mountain, the gates, the foxes, and the shrines get smaller and more numerous, until towards the top of the mountain there’s a maze of tiny shrines all built on top of each other, each attended by tiny foxes.
Aside from the foxes, the shrine is notable for the red torii gates. All shrines have toriis and many of them are painted red, but this goes way beyond. The various paths up the mountain, pass under a near-solid tunnel of over 10,000 red gates, all of them inscribed with the names of sponsors.

[anitar1]

32. Beautiful--Thanks for Posting this. n/t

[Runcible Spoon]

19. I thought the Gates were wonderful as well...

I always though NYC was very intimidating and alienating for an Uptate country gal like myself! But there was a real feeling of community there when I went to see the gates..everyone marveled at the spectacle and I didn't hear anyone make disparaging remarks! Not to say there aren't people who don't like the aesthetic, but you really had to have seen them and walked under them to appreciate it; the pics are nice but don't convey the experience. My boyfriend was very skeptical and jaded about modern art in general, but he was also delighted to find himself enjoying a beautiful walk with me, on that gorgeous warm day, the day right after Valentine's Day. Very romantic.

[Lorien]

20. And the GOP shows utter contempt for public art

(unless it depicts Der Fuher) 254 million is nothing to sneeze at, lurking fascists!

[Scooter24]

22. Even this cat enjoys the gates

:D

[okieinpain]

30. hah, make fun of that. now everybody is going to want Christo

[robbedvoter]

34. Are the proceeds from the shower curtains going to NYC?

You do know they are being sold now as shower curtains, non?
I have mixed feelings about them. I didn't think it worked as an ensemble piece - they were too much like the traffic cones. Still, occasionally, I could find the nice detail, light effect so, it was somwhat interesting.
As far as Bloomberg's numbers....we probably lost that money if he says we made it - he has about as much credibility as W with me.

[MGKrebs]

37. Almost any art is better than no art,

and I am glad so many enjoyed this, but I just don't get it. Reminds of walking through the back yard on laundry day when I was a kid.

Perhaps making a thousand (or whatever) of anything is impressive, or is it something else? The proportions of the units? Was it a very special color? Somehow connected with it's environment in a sublime way? Meant to wave in the breeze causing an impressive collective motion when seen from a distance? Is there some symbolism to walking through multiple gates or arches that I am missing? A thousand Arc de Triumphettes? An unparalleled engineering feat?

In any case, art by it's nature is often about taking risks, and therefore will not always work for everyone.

[MGKrebs]

38. Ms. Krebs reminds me of Centennial Olympic Park

here in Atlanta during the Olympics. Just a park. A nice fountain. But somehow, for some inexplicable reason, a gathering place for all the people of the world to mingle, meander, smile, wave, and share...something. An excuse to be happy. Why not. :-)