The Gates facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Gates |
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The installation over Gapstow Bridge in Central Park, New York City
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| Artist | Christo and Jeanne-Claude |
| Completion date | 12 February 2005 |
| Type | Site-specific art |
| Condition | Dismantled |
| Location | Central Park, New York City |
| Website | The Gates |
The Gates was a huge art project in Central Park, New York City. It was created by two artists, Christo and Jeanne-Claude. They put up 7,503 bright orange "gates" along 23 miles (37 km) of paths in the park. Each gate had a panel of deep saffron-colored fabric hanging from it.
This special art display was open for two weeks, from February 12 to February 27, 2005. The artists called the project The Gates, Central Park, New York, 1979–2005. This long name showed how long it took them to get the project approved and built, from their first idea in 1979 to its opening in 2005.
People had different feelings about The Gates. Some loved how it made the park look brighter in winter. They also liked that it encouraged more people to visit Central Park, even at night. Others didn't like it, saying it ruined the natural beauty of the park. Some bicyclists worried the gates might cause accidents, even though cycling wasn't allowed on those paths. The project also became famous because TV hosts like David Letterman often joked about it.
Contents
Building the Gates
How the Gates were Made
The artists said they used a lot of materials to build The Gates. This included 5,390 tons of steel and 96 kilometers (315,491 feet) of vinyl tubing. They also used 99,155 square meters of fabric and 15,000 sets of special parts. The fabric was made and sewn in Germany.
Workers put the gates together in a large building in Long Island. Then, they moved them by truck to Central Park.
Putting the Gates in the Park
The steel bases of the gates just rested on the park's walkways. They were not attached to the ground. This meant no holes were drilled, and the park was not permanently changed.
Christo and Jeanne-Claude paid for the project themselves. They sold their own artworks, including drawings they made for The Gates, to get the money. The artists said the project cost $21 million.
Installation of the gates began on February 13, 2004. Workers used special machines called forklifts to move the heavy steel plates into place. Small signs helped them know where each part should go.
By April 10, most of the metal plates were in position. They had orange markers sticking up to help workers find them, especially if it snowed. Bad weather, like a big snowstorm and very cold temperatures in early 2005, slowed down the work.
On February 7, 2005, over 100 teams of workers started putting up the gates. They bolted them to the base plates. The artists called the fabric color "saffron," but many people thought it looked orange. The fabric hung from crossbars 16 feet (4.9 meters) high. It was unrolled on opening day, February 12. The gates were different widths, from 5.5 feet (1.7 meters) to 18 feet (5.5 meters), depending on the path.
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Parts used to make sure the gates stood straight.
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One of the many metal base parts during construction.
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The gates were put up before the fabric was unrolled.
The Art Display
Opening Day
The Gates officially opened on February 12, 2005. The Mayor of New York, Michael R. Bloomberg, dropped the first piece of fabric at 8:30 a.m. Christo and Jeanne-Claude were there to watch.
After that, workers quickly unrolled the fabric panels on all the other gates throughout the park. Large crowds watched as the park transformed. By the afternoon of February 12, all the bright orange panels were hanging.
Workers stayed in the park during the exhibit. They patrolled the area and replaced any damaged gates. They also gave out small, free pieces of the orange fabric to visitors. This helped stop people from trying to take pieces from the actual gates. These small fabric pieces are now collector's items.
Closing and What Happened Next
The art installation closed on February 27, 2005. Christo and Jeanne-Claude visited the park on the last day. After the exhibit ended, all the gates and their bases were removed. The materials were then recycled, including the metal parts.
A documentary film called The Gates was made about the project. It aired in 2008 and won an award. The film's creators said that The Gates brought over 4 million visitors to Central Park from all over the world.
The science fiction movie Marjorie Prime also mentions The Gates. In the movie, a character remembers sitting on a park bench during the art installation.
Inspirations for The Gates
The Gates was inspired by traditional Japanese torii gates. These gates are usually found at the entrance to Shinto shrines in Japan. For example, thousands of red torii gates line the paths at the Fushimi Inari shrine in Kyoto, Japan. In Japan, successful business people sometimes buy a gate to thank the god Inari for good fortune.
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Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto, Japan.
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Thousands of torii gates line the paths of the famous Fushimi Inari Shrine.
Images for kids
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Facing northeast from Belvedere Castle
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Facing east
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From the roof of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
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Facing southwest
