The Gate, Central Park, New York is a work of art that represents vinyl structures with orange drapes resting on steel bases that straddled the Central Park pathways in New York City during sixteen February days in 2005. A French artist Jeanne-Claude and a Bulgarian artist Christo Yavacheff created the 16-foot-high gates that still cause mixed feelings. The effect of the installation on the scenes familiar to all the visitors ranged from indignation at the shallowness of thousands of hanging dishrags to the greatest appreciation of a new aesthetic experience. Although the artists claimed that the only purpose of the monumental display was to create something for joy without any rational purpose.
In my opinion, the contrast of bright orange color of a series of flapping banner-like panels with the brown and grey colors of bare trees was delightful. The whimsical and mysterious composition of large-scale gates altered a usual landscape and created a joyful festival feeling that is so rare in winter months. Seen from above, The Gate resembled a flowing river, while the people walking through the structures perceived them as a bright ceiling flapping in the wind. The outdoor modern style project encouraged the visitors to go out and socialize. Contrary to traditional art forms, it was an intentionally fleeting landmark of intense color created to encourage high spirits and good mood.
To sum up, the ideas expressed by any kind of art confront the triviality and enhance the conventional perception of reality. The creators of The Gate are referred to as environmental or conceptual artists. Having been displayed for a limited period of time, their temporary projects were removed, but they expressed the idea of tenderness and fragility of everything that can be easily lost. Thus, the immediate esthetic impact is combined with the deeper meaning of freedom and beauty.