About The Gates
Jake Dobkin walked a few NYCPhoto people through Central Park last night to do some long-exposure photography of The Gates. Whether or not you're willing to call this installation "art", it's unquestionably a compelling presence, both in the park and in the daily conversation around here. For my part, I'm really impressed that Christo and Jeanne-Claude made it happen; they've proven their success in the Art of Impossible Political Maneuvers (and will be remembered largely for that, I predict). Having said that, I should point out that The Gates are tough to actually mingle with -- they don't enhance the sight lines nearly as well as I expected them to, and they occasionally surround you in a retina-stunning field of saffron polyvinyl. Though it was great to be taking pictures in the park on a February night (with my jacket unzipped, no less), I'd have to say that The Gates is probably best seen from afar -- as is most of C & J-C's work -- and that this piece is a massive pain in the ass to photograph well.
(ahem) but I like these pictures anyhow. I've got a small "Tyranny of Saffron" set on flickr that includes daylight shots of people and Gates.
Other "The Gates" Ninjas: Bluejake, Matt Law, Youngna, and Metroplus.
central park-ish , photo-ish , the gates-ish by tangentialist at 05:42 PM on 16 Feb 05 | Perm-a-link | TrackBack (0)
Pro-Space-Elevator Lobby Emerges
More wheatpaste drama on the Space Elevator front, which is quickly becoming the hot-button issue here in Brooklyn. Over the weekend, the flyer pictured above appeared around Williamsburg, seemingly in reponse to the original anti-Space-Elevator posters. It's a classic grassroots gambit, and I'm sure their claims will falter as more light is focused on the Pro-Elevator coalition. Here's one of my favorite bits:
The Elevator ribbon is only 12 inches wide and no thicker than a pad of paper; its shadow will in fact act as a pleasant urban sundial, saving residents money that would otherwise be spent on costly timepieces. Is it really a surprise that F.E.T.S.E.o.t.N. is also taking money from Big Horology?
This is turning into a pleasantly absurd little debate on the workings of the NIMBY world and the merits of regulated development. The question is, will the real world respond?
Painstakingly transcribed flyer text after the fold...
SUPPORT THE SPACE ELEVATOR!
A Space Elevator would bring the wealth of the Solar System to Williamsburg. Yet some people are opposing it. Why?
Fight Extremely Tall Space Elevators on the Northside (F.E.T.S.E.o.t.N.) isn't telling you the truth about:
JOBS: The Space Elevator will create a thriving local carbon nanotube production industry.
NOISE: F.E.T.S.E.o.t.N. is taking funds from Big Aerospace, which has a vested interest in chemical rockets. A single chemical Atlas booster's launch noise intensity is over 200 dB - a jackhammer's is "only" 110 dB!
TRAFFIC: The 30 mile flight exclusion zone around the Elevator will result in the closure of JFK and LaGuardia airports, reducing overall traffic and air pollution, especially on the overcrowded BQE.
URBAN BLIGHT: The Elevator ribbon is only 12 inches wide and no thicker than a pad of paper; its shadow will in fact act as a pleasant urban sundial, saving residents money that would otherwise be spent on costly timepieces. Is it really a surprise that F.E.T.S.E.o.t.N. is also taking money from Big Horology?
MAIL stoptheelevator@yahoogroups.com AND TELL THEM TO STOP TRYING TO TAKE OUR JOBS, HURT OUR EARS, INCREASE TRAFFIC CONGESTION, AND FORCE US TO BUY CLOCKS!
brooklyn-ish , space elevator-ish , street art-ish , williamsburg-ish by tangentialist at 04:19 PM on 07 Feb 05 | Perm-a-link
Space Elevator Hits The Big Time
Flyers about a space elevator in Williamsburg have been appearing around the Northside and causing a stir among the local residents and their friends abroad, who apparently include Xeni Jardin. There's even a yahoo group, where a discussion on the various annoyances of such a development ("Constant Whirring Noise") is unfolding, and where you can download some copies of your own.
First come the high rises, then the space elevators. NIMBY!
(Note: They appear to have reached their bandwidth limit on the flyer, so I'll share my copy.)
brooklyn-ish , space elevator-ish , street art-ish , williamsburg-ish by tangentialist at 03:00 PM on 02 Feb 05 | Perm-a-link | TrackBack (1)