Heading to The Gates

On Thursday I'm heading east to see The Gates. I've been captivated by them since the first time I saw pix of the initial drawings - 15 years ago? 20? Even then, I had become a fan of Christo's (today, the name is Christo-and-Jeanne-Claude), because in 1976 I stumbled upon Running Fence, which was also sensational. The idea of something being developed and constructed in such painstaking detail that's very temporary is not new: look at sand paintings (and quick, before they're gone). I think what I love about these projects is that they're large and technical and physical - and they require so many people who never think about this stuff to deal with them, temporary and conceptual though they are. Of course, the fact that they're environmentally respectful is a bonus. Anyway - I'm really excited to see The Gates. More soon.