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Show The Park Record Sat/Sun/Mon/ftjes, March 5-8,2005 C-6 'Gates' provide land art example RIGHT AT HOME DESIGNS, INC. Local art history professor visits Central Park 'Gates' 9/o By Dr. ORVILLE CLARKE Record guest writer 'ITiis is a tale of two cities, one large and one small, and how they converge in New York City's Central Park. This tale also has two beginnings. The firs I was in 1979 when the husband and wife team o{ Chrislo and Jeanne-Claude made their first drawings to install a series of "Gates" in Central Park. Twenty-six years later on February 12, 2005, "The Gates, lVoject fur Central Park, New York City" was realized. Ilie artists are famous for their installation oi~ the "Umbrellas" in California and Japan, the "Surrounded Islands" in Miami, Florida and the "Wrapped Reichstag" in fierlin. 'Hie second beginning was in the summer of 1998 when Orville and Jennifer Clarke, another husband and wife learn, came to Park City to visit relatives and took a road trip a few hours west ol' Salt Lake City to see "Hie Sun Tunnels" by Nancy Holl.'Ihis began their love a Hair with "land art," and Park City. Aller countless ski vaca- FURNITURE • ANTIQUES • ACCESSORIES • GIFTS 1745 Bonanza Drive Monday-Friday 10:00-5:30 Saturday 10:00-5:00 RESALE 435.658.2ill Ail America*! Bistro Check Out OT ^ d Fridays WS Tony Oros *M ^PM - CIo5e lioiis and summer trips to visit relatives, the Clarkes moved here from Southern California permanently in 2003. Utah possesses two <.•>[ the most important earthworks in the world: "'llic Sim Tunnels" and "The Spiral Jetty" by Robert Smithson wliich is north of Salt I-ike City in the Great Salt Lake. Earthworks or land art is a site specific ' form o\' art which requires large areas of available land, which is one ol~ the reasons that Nevada and Utah contain more than their fair share o\~ this dynamic offshoot of minimalism. 'Ilie artist is able to alter our perception of the land by cither sculpting the earth or with the addition of structures. It forces the viewer to reconsider familiar scenery and contemplate whether the alteration lias changed their perceptions of the land and its relationship to the viewer. One o( the interesting facets of Chrislo and Jeanne-Claude's land art is that their works are only installed for a brief period of time. I^and art is traditionally in inaccessible places forcing the visitor to travel long distances to see the art, much like early Christian pilgrims during the Middle Ages visiting sacred shrines and relics. Instead o\' using this element of distance, Chrislo and Jeamie-Claude use the dimension of time.'ITieir work is only available for a few weeks, and then it disappears forever, leaving only the memory of a changed environment. '11ns forces art lovers to "rush" to see the installation before it vanishes. The pallis.of the two couples one from New York and the other Park City collided in Central Park on the weekend olTeb. 25. Orville Clarke, a professor of art history, and Jennifer came to PHOTO BY ORVILLE CLARKE 'The Gates," in New York City's Central Park, are shown here. experience the altered environment o\' the city park, while Alexis, a sophomore at Park City High, joined her parents to write an article on the experience for the school paper and visit NYU, one of her top choices for college. "'Ilie Gates" are a breathtaking installation demonstrating the power of art. 'ITie twenty-three miles of pedestrian walkways in Central Park were decorated with approximalely 7,?00 saffron-colored gates spaced at 12-fool intervals. luich gale is 16 feel high and ranges from six to IS feel wide, depending on the terrain. Fabric panels hang down to just within the reach of a person gently catching the breeze and swaying in the wind. "Ilie bleak winter landscape of grays and browns lias been invigorated with a vibrant orange that Christ 0 and Jeanne-Claudes multimilhon dollar installation was entirely self-funded; no public monies of any kind were accepted. And the project seems even more impressive when one considers the vast quantity of governmental agencies that were required to approve the project.'Hie fact that it ever moved beyond a drawing is a miracle in itself. This interesting public art is a spirit thai Park City residents understand. Park City celebrated the "Moose on the Loose" last year with local artists decorating the mammals and residents coming out to see these changing art installations. Even today, visitors to our town arc greeted by the colorful beasts which interact and comment upon the land. The success o\' Christo and JeanneClaudes instillation in Central Park should oiler inspiration for Iliturc community based art to beautify and inspire this enchanted land. [ Live Btil©i?laitOT.©flt full Tttslto 412 menu IS available tmftl 9--30 -pm JQL } ?remitDn Cocktails J ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ i $2.60 eve?? invites visitors to walk and explore the parkways. 'Hie title of the project comes from the 60 Olmstead and Vaux designed openings nr "gates" in the stone wall tliat surrounds Central Park. If you were lucky enough to walk across the park in a snowstorm, as we did, the landscape became unforgettably enchanted. 'Hie combination of snow, gates, and ihe absolute quid in the middle of one of the world's largest cities was deeply mystical, almost overwhelming. Time seemed to slow as Ihe gates invited the visitors to venture deeper into the park. Hie contrast between the pure white of fresh snow and Ilie brilliant color ol~ the gates mesmerized and creating a sense of peaceand tranquility only broken at the boundary of the park by the cacophony of New York traffic. D^T ^ J ^ V Pisfro Y>ar is a private club for members 412 Main Street » 0 4 9 - 8 2 1 1 a 1 .*;*PHOTO BY ORVILLE CLARKE Alexis and Jennifer Clarke are pictured here next to The Gates.' 'Iliat happened in New York City,; where two towns, two couples, onelucky teenager, and memories for a lifetime all converged in Central Park. And, "The Gales" brought hundreds of thousands of others, tourists, locals, lovers, skeptics and dreamers, together to ponder the changes in the land ol' New York. 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