H En Bias The Gates – Central Park – 2005 Limited Edition

Carres d'Art > Carres Hermes Editions Limitees

Year 2005 - Published to celebrate Christo's work: Gates of Central Park New York City, 1979 - 2005.

• Christo is the artist name under which the joint work of Christo Vladimiroff Javacheff (1935-2020) and Jeanne-Claude Denat de Guillebon (1935-2009) is identified. Their art consists of ephemeral investments in the public space in extravagant projects. The artist, king of packaging, attacked a New York institution by covering Central Park with saffron canvas in early 2005.
• Unique colour / 90 x 90 cm / 100% silk

christojeanneclaude.net

The installation in Central Park was completed with the blooming of the 7,503 fabric panels on February 12, 2005. The 7,503 gates were 4.87 meters (16 feet) tall and varied in width from 1.68 to 5.48 meters (5 feet 6 inches to 18 feet) according to the 25 different widths of walkways, on 37 kilometers (23 miles) of walkways in Central Park. Free hanging saffron colored fabric panels, suspended from the horizontal top part of the gates, came down to approximately 2.1 meters (7 feet) above the ground. The gates were spaced at 3.65 meter (12 foot) intervals, except where low branches extended above the walkways. The gates and the fabric panels could be seen from far away through the leafless branches of the trees. The work of art remained for 16 days, then the gates were removed and the materials recycled.

The 12.7 cm (5 inch) square vertical and horizontal poles were extruded in 96.5 km (60 miles) of saffron colored vinyl. The vertical poles were secured by 15,006 narrow steel base footings, 278 to 380 kilograms (613 to 837 pounds) each, positioned on the paved surfaces. No holes were made in the ground. The gates' components were fabricated, off-site, by seven manufacturers located on the East Coast of the USA. The weaving and sewing of the fabric panels was done in Germany.

In teams of eight, 600 workers wearing "The Gates" uniforms, were responsible for installing 100 gates per team. The monitoring and removal teams included an additional 300 uniformed workers. The monitors assisted the public and gave information. All workers were financially compensated and received breakfast and one hot meal a day. Professional security worked in the park after dark.

The Gates was entirely financed by Christo and Jeanne-Claude, as they have done for all their previous projects. The artists did not accept sponsorship or donations.

The grid pattern of the city blocks surrounding Central Park was reflected in the rectangular structure of the commanding saffron colored poles while the serpentine design of the walkways and the organic forms of the bare branches of the trees were mirrored in the continuously changing rounded and sensual movements of the free flowing fabric panels in the wind.

The people of New York continued to use the park as usual. For those who walked through The Gates, following the walkways, the saffron colored fabric was a golden ceiling creating warm shadows. When seen from the buildings surrounding Central Park, The Gates seemed like a golden river appearing and disappearing through the bare branches of the trees and highlighting the shape of the meandering footpaths.

Chief Engineer and Director of Construction: Vince Davenport
Project Director: Jonita Davenport
Exclusive Photographer: Wolfgang Volz