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July 25, 2005
A Christo Runs Through It
Drawings and collages from Over The River, Project For Arkansas River,
Colorado by Christo
Christo and Jeanne-Claude, those crazy septuagenarians, are at it again! Artinfo.com has a story on their plans to cover part of the Arkansas River with a huge clear canopy ...I'm probably the only person in North America who didn't see "The Gates" last February and it's unlikely that I will be traveling to Colorado anytime soon but I can still enjoy the idea of their installation. I can also enjoy the beautiful drawings. What a cool project!
Check out the website for more info on projects completed and those yet to come. It's pretty interesting. I also liked the page on "How to Read the Art Works"
kind of hard to believe that just a few months ago it was bitter cold in NYC....
Posted by lk at July 25, 2005 10:57 AM
Comments
See:
http://www.overtheriver.org
Posted by: Johnson at September 11, 2005 01:44 PM
I think the surrounded islands were an ecological nightmare...
Posted by: elizabeth at July 30, 2005 01:13 PM
From what I have heard the Christo team goes to extreme lengths not to impact the environment in a bad way. I think their intensions are good. I just know that even little things like taking my dogs to swim in a river can muddy the water and erode the banks a bit. So the idea that you could create enough access to the huge stretch of bank necessary to erect structures sturdy enough to withstand 2 weeks of river life without an impact just doesn’t make sense to me. It is also a personal thing. I always think the finished artworks are stunning but they also usually leave me wondering. I guess they feel bossy. (Somehow I didn’t get that with the gates because it is such a manicured environment anyway.)
Anyway, I think the post was great. Sorry if my comment was unnecessarily grumpy. You know me and my opinions. My elementary school bus driver didn’t call me La Boca for nothing.
xoxo
Posted by: buttergun at July 27, 2005 10:48 AM
At the Gates it seemed like the environmental impact to Central Park was small. And the huge improvement in the mood of the surrounding New Yorkers was wonderful.
Posted by: NoahK at July 27, 2005 07:09 AM
Point taken, Buttergun. I guess the only way to ensure that nothing gets hurt is to limit these projects to concept drawings.
Posted by: lk at July 26, 2005 11:22 AM
Beautiful drawings but I think maybe they should stay drawings. The river can't really express its opinion on whether or not it would like to be trussed up in a bow for two weeks. Damage (lack of sun or rain, trampling from install and breakdown etc) of some sort to the surrounding environment seems likely. The river looks pretty magical as is to me. Thanks for the link tho!
Posted by: buttergun at July 26, 2005 10:30 AM