# Sick of the Fucking Gates **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 14, 2005, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sick-of-the-fucking-gates/289961 "2005-02-14T03:35:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![RTA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@RTA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTA)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sick-of-the-fucking-gates/289961/41 "2005-02-14T13:41:32Z")
Too bad that some of you folks that get to see them can’t step outside of your pinched-off and mean little perspectives for two seconds, so you can try and appreciate something intended to give you just a fleeting moment of aesthetic pleasure outside of your obviously humdrum and artless existence. Don’t worry folks, the gates are coming down soon. Then you can go right back to enjoying your wind-drifting plastic bags, and rollerblading yuppies steering around clumps of frozen dogshit. Just like you like it. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sick-of-the-fucking-gates/289961/42 "2005-02-14T13:47:08Z")
The entertainment value of this thread alone somehow makes it all worthwhile. (retreats to humdrum, Philistine, laundry-less existence). ☹ ---
**Author:** ![El\_Zagna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@El\_Zagna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Zagna)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sick-of-the-fucking-gates/289961/43 "2005-02-14T13:47:45Z")
I, for one, love Christo’s work. Love it, love it, love it. All of it. Every single concept. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sick-of-the-fucking-gates/289961/44 "2005-02-14T13:59:30Z")
> [@neutron star](#): > > These guys think sheets hanging on gates are a technical miracle? Wait till they see the cotton gin! You figure out a way to create 7500 curtained gates that can go up quickly over 23 miles, be unfurled easily and at the same time, have negligible risk of either falling over or being stolen, and have them be just as easy to remove without leaving a footprint. I think technically, it’s quite a feat. That’s what makes most of his projects interesting. Wrapping [islands?](http://www.christojeanneclaude.net/sharedMedia/SurroundedIslands/si2.jpg) Draping a curtain across a [valley](http://www.beaverstreetgallery.com/collection/Christo-Valley_Curtain.jpg)? ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sick-of-the-fucking-gates/289961/45 "2005-02-14T14:05:19Z")
Can I like the aesthetics of the gates, and still think that Christo and his wife come off as pretentious asses? ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sick-of-the-fucking-gates/289961/46 "2005-02-14T14:07:30Z")
There’s no reason to think that a couple of pretentious asses can’t make something pretty. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sick-of-the-fucking-gates/289961/47 "2005-02-14T14:08:40Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > Put me down as thinking the gates look neat. > > And the _real_ purpose of art is to provoke (and possibly annoy) the culturally clueless, in an attempt to shock them out of their bland notions of taste. Wow. So when I produce a painting or sculpture that someone purchases because that person likes the way it looks, or for any other reason really, that isn’t a piece of art? Or perhaps it is art, but art that has betrayed its purpose? I am not sure when I have read a more condescending, elitist, and arrogant statement. Screw you and your non-bland notions. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sick-of-the-fucking-gates/289961/48 "2005-02-14T14:15:31Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > Can I like the aesthetics of the gates, and still think that Christo and his wife come off as pretentious asses? I really don’t see what’s so pretentious about them. They sell drawings to raise money to pay to install sculpture. When pressed for the project’s significance all they say, “this has no meaning. it’s just something we wanted to do, that we thought woudl be nice to look at.” That’s about as unpretentious as it gets. ---
**Author:** ![LibrarySpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f9ae1b/32.png) [@LibrarySpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LibrarySpy)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sick-of-the-fucking-gates/289961/49 "2005-02-14T14:21:27Z")
Bravo, **Gadfly**. I can’t believe people are criticizing something that was paid for by private interests and feeds money into the economy. As well as being **bland** , politically and socially non-offensive and possibly beautiful. Isn’t this what you people _want_ from art? ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sick-of-the-fucking-gates/289961/50 "2005-02-14T14:29:57Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > Put me down as thinking the gates look neat. > > And the _real_ purpose of art is to provoke (and possibly annoy) the culturally clueless, in an attempt to shock them out of their bland notions of taste. I may be “culturally clueless” (and, as a result, unworthy of your consideration), but I’m quite happy that my “bland notions of taste” don’t look like anything out of _Interior Desecrations_. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sick-of-the-fucking-gates/289961/51 "2005-02-14T14:38:22Z")
> [@Trunk](#): > > I really don’t see what’s so pretentious about them. > > They sell drawings to raise money to pay to install sculpture. > > When pressed for the project’s significance all they say, “this has no meaning. it’s just something we wanted to do, that we thought woudl be nice to look at.” > > That’s about as unpretentious as it gets. I watched their 60 Minutes interview last night. Their whole schtick that she does all the talking for him, and the things she said… I’m sure I’m not the only one who thinks they came off as pretentious. ---
**Author:** ![ouisey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9fc29f/32.png) [@ouisey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouisey)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sick-of-the-fucking-gates/289961/52 "2005-02-14T14:43:08Z")
I think the gates look OK, myself, however… when interviewed, that frizzy haired artist chick claimed to not care at all about what people think of their art, because artists create only for themselves. Which made me wonder why they have to crap out their version of art all over a public place without caring how the public feels about it. If they don’t care about how people feel about it, why can’t they purchase 40 acres of wooded land somewhere and throw up their gates there? But really, I think the gates look pretty nifty. Are they up yet? I’m trying to arrange a little vacation to NYC next month and would like to see them. ---
**Author:** ![todd33rpm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@todd33rpm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/todd33rpm)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sick-of-the-fucking-gates/289961/53 "2005-02-14T14:43:27Z")
> [@FinnAgain](#): > > I think they’re kinda cool. It’s Gotham City after all. > Viva the gateless gates! Oh, my. I think I just had my breakthrough experience! Way to be Zen, **FinnAgain**! You may have actually discovered a new, 3-D koan… 🙂 Oh, and **yosemite** , among other bits of brilliance in this thread, this > [@yosemite](#): > > I think some have a pseudo “Dog in the Manger” mentality: “If I can’t comprehend it or enjoy it, nobody else has any business enjoying it either.” And there’s also this mindset: “If they claim to ‘get it’ or enjoy it, they are lying or just being pretentious. After all, if I can’t appreciate it, it’s inconceivable that anyone else could.” makes you my new favorite poster. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sick-of-the-fucking-gates/289961/54 "2005-02-14T14:48:46Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > Can I like the aesthetics of the gates, and still think that Christo and his wife come off as pretentious asses? You are free to think what you like about them, i’d say. I must admit, I don’t have the advantage of seeing them in interviews, so I can’t say how they come across. The website on the project doesn’t really come across that way, but it is kinda static, so hard to tell. It really doesn’t affect the aesthetics, no. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sick-of-the-fucking-gates/289961/55 "2005-02-14T14:49:59Z")
> [@ouisey](#): > > But really, I think the gates look pretty nifty. Are they up yet? I’m trying to arrange a little vacation to NYC next month and would like to see them. I think they’re only up for 2 weeks, so I doubt they’ll still be there. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sick-of-the-fucking-gates/289961/56 "2005-02-14T14:51:01Z")
The art world has, over the past half-century or so, perverted the quite correct notion that “Just because people don’t like it doesn’t mean that it isn’t Great Art” into the totally fallacious “If people don’t like it, it must be Great Art”. This explains the critical reaction to “Piss Christ” and other garbage. On the other hand, I kinda like some of what Christo has done, including the Gates. Granted, both he and his partner are pretentious twits, but the skirts around the Carribean islands, the curtain across the canyon, etc., are visually interesting things, and he does try not to repeat himself – he did go back to the “wrapping” well at least once too often – and at least he is spending his own money on it. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sick-of-the-fucking-gates/289961/57 "2005-02-14T14:51:11Z")
> [@ouisey](#): > > I think the gates look OK, myself, however… > > when interviewed, that frizzy haired artist chick claimed to not care at all about what people think of their art, because artists create only for themselves. Which made me wonder why they have to crap out their version of art all over a public place without caring how the public feels about it. > > If they don’t care about how people feel about it, why can’t they purchase 40 acres of wooded land somewhere and throw up their gates there? > > But really, I think the gates look pretty nifty. Are they up yet? I’m trying to arrange a little vacation to NYC next month and would like to see them. They’re only going to be there for 16 days. And they went up on Saturday. So, 14 left and counting. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sick-of-the-fucking-gates/289961/58 "2005-02-14T14:51:41Z")
> [@ouisey](#): > > I think the gates look OK, myself, however… > > when interviewed, that frizzy haired artist chick claimed to not care at all about what people think of their art, because artists create only for themselves. Which made me wonder why they have to crap out their version of art all over a public place without caring how the public feels about it. On their website, they compare their works to people’s children – people have children for their own purposes, but of course they’re thrilled if people come up and say how cute the kid is. Sounds fair to me. > [@](#): > > But really, I think the gates look pretty nifty. Are they up yet? I’m trying to arrange a little vacation to NYC next month and would like to see them. They’re up. They’re coming back down on Feb. 27, so book now. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sick-of-the-fucking-gates/289961/59 "2005-02-14T14:52:24Z")
> [@pseudotriton ruber ruber](#): > > What are they gates TO? > > I’m going to take a walk in Central Park this morning, and I don’t want to end up on some world where the dudette from THE CRYING GAME is the Pharoah. Ha Ha Ha - I love this! ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sick-of-the-fucking-gates/289961/60 "2005-02-14T14:59:14Z")
I thought a bunch of Buddhist monks hung their laundry out to dry in Central Park… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sick-of-the-fucking-gates/289961.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sick-of-the-fucking-gates/289961.md?page=4)