Sunday, May 11, 2008

A World of Art - Part One

My perception of The Gates is based on what I’ve read and what I’ve seen portrayed in photographs taken by Wolfgang Volz and other photographers. I’ve also seen some reference sketches, attributed to Christo and photographed by Volz, and some maps of Central Park showing where The Gates were erected.



The Gates are attributed to Christo and Jeanne-Claude, but they are obviously a collaborative work incorporating the skills of many individuals. Like many projects masterminded by Christo and Jeanne-Claude, The Gates, reminds me of a theatrical production that runs for a short time and is remembered by those who saw the show and possibly through documentation on film and video.



My personal perception of The Gates is enhanced by the fact that I’ve spent time in Central Park and Central Park has been the backdrop for thousands of films and television shows. It’s easy for me to imagine an installation that utilizes large sections of the park in the same way that I can imagine Christmas decorations going up on most city streets in America during the Holiday season.



When I look at Volz’s photographs, I see places I’ve been in person and places I’ve seen in my head. These areas of Central Park have been, more often than not, interpreted in shades of gray. To see them suddenly lit up by rectangles of gold or orange, depending on the time of day, is quite dramatic. Skylines have an extra tier. The shadows of trees are reflected on fabric. The trees are masked by fabric, but visible in various degrees of opacity. Informal branches peak out from behind the formal frames.



In all honesty, Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s repertory company of actors who all look alike and wear the same costume don’t really impress me as much as Wolfgang Volz’s photographs. It’s no wonder that Volz, Christo, and Jeanne-Claude have been collaborators for so long. It’s through the work of Volz that these shows that close after such a short run are truly remembered.

A work with the scope of The Gates is subject to an infinite amount of locations from where it can be viewed. Volz gives us a variety of landscapes to remember. He juxtaposes the architecture, nature, people, and the project with the eye of a master of his craft. His work benefits from the good fortune of a snowstorm. The freshly fallen snow offers great visual contrast.

It would have been fun to take pictures in Central Park while The Gates were on display. But The Gates don’t move me and it isn’t The Gates I see when I consider the pictures in my text book or on Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s website. It’s the forgotten artist that I find appealing. Volz understands light, color, and composition. It is through his artistic eye that I see The Gates and it’s through his work that The Gates will be judged by future generations. The Gates have come and gone, but we have his photographs as a reminder of what happened for a very short time in Central Park.

All photos by Wolfgang Volz except portrait of the artist by Sylvia Volz.

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