(born in Gabrovo, Bulgaria in 1935; lives and works in New York)
“The Gates”, 2001, signed, dated, inscribed Christo 2001, again signed, dated on the reverse, mixed media (photo, acrylic, pencil) on wood, 22.5 x 29 cm, framed in plexiglass box

Provenance:
Private Collection, Germany - directly from the artist

The first sketches and early project ideas for The Gates in New York’s Central Park were made in 1979. During the planning process in 1980, Christo described his ideas and sketches for the complete project, which was initially intended for the last two weeks of October 1983 or 1984. 14 days later the 43.4 km-long artwork would be dismantled and the park would return to its original state. However, the planning phase for this major project in the middle of New York dragged on over many years and on 12 February 2005 this land art installation, with a total length of 37 km, opened in the heart of New York. The 43-page contract between the City of New York and the artist couple Christo and Jeanne-Claude was signed in January 2003, and production of the 7,503 gates could begin. The cost of the artwork was financed entirely by Christo and Jeanne-Claude.

“The 7,500 Gates, 4.87 meters high with a width varying from 1.67 to 5.48 meters, will follow the edges of the walkways and are perpendicular to the selected 23 miles of footpaths in Central Park. Free-hanging saffron-coloured fabric panels suspended from the horizontal top part of the gates will come down approximately 2.13 meters above the ground. The gates spaced at 3 to 4.5 meters intervals allowing the synthetic woven panels to wave horizontally towards the next gate and be seen from far away through the leafless branches of the trees. The temporary work of art The Gates is scheduled for February 2005, to remain for 16 days, then the 7,500 Gates will be removed and the material will be recycled” (press statement of New York Major Michael R. Bloomberg, 22 January 2003, in: Anne L. Strauss, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, The Gates, 1979-2005, p. 38)

192,366 km of saffron-coloured nylon thread were used to produce the fabric panels, woven into a total of 98,298m² of woven fabric. A small piece of the original fabric is attached to these sketches to demonstrate the haptic sense of the fabric panels. “When the lustrous fabric lifts the Gates, and delimits the space above the path, it accentuates the organic design, which contrasts with the geometrical, rectangular forms of Manhattan and harmonizes with the beauty of Central Park.” (Christo 1980, Marina Vaizey, Christo, Recklinghausen 1990)

Provenance:
Private Collection, Germany - directly from the artist

The first sketches and early project ideas for The Gates in New York’s Central Park were made in 1979. During the planning process in 1980, Christo described his ideas and sketches for the complete project, which was initially intended for the last two weeks of October 1983 or 1984. 14 days later the 43.4 km-long artwork would be dismantled and the park would return to its original state. However, the planning phase for this major project in the middle of New York dragged on over many years and on 12 February 2005 this land art installation, with a total length of 37 km, opened in the heart of New York. The 43-page contract between the City of New York and the artist couple Christo and Jeanne-Claude was signed in January 2003, and production of the 7,503 gates could begin. The cost of the artwork was financed entirely by Christo and Jeanne-Claude.

“The 7,500 Gates, 4.87 meters high with a width varying from 1.67 to 5.48 meters, will follow the edges of the walkways and are perpendicular to the selected 23 miles of footpaths in Central Park. Free-hanging saffron-coloured fabric panels suspended from the horizontal top part of the gates will come down approximately 2.13 meters above the ground. The gates spaced at 3 to 4.5 meters intervals allowing the synthetic woven panels to wave horizontally towards the next gate and be seen from far away through the leafless branches of the trees. The temporary work of art The Gates is scheduled for February 2005, to remain for 16 days, then the 7,500 Gates will be removed and the material will be recycled” (press statement of New York Major Michael R. Bloomberg, 22 January 2003, in: Anne L. Strauss, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, The Gates, 1979-2005, p. 38)

192,366 km of saffron-coloured nylon thread were used to produce the fabric panels, woven into a total of 98,298m² of woven fabric. A small piece of the original fabric is attached to these sketches to demonstrate the haptic sense of the fabric panels. “When the lustrous fabric lifts the Gates, and delimits the space above the path, it accentuates the organic design, which contrasts with the geometrical, rectangular forms of Manhattan and harmonizes with the beauty of Central Park.”
Christo 1980, Marina Vaizey, Christo, Recklinghausen 1990