Nov 19 2009
remembering jeanne-claude, collaborator with christo
The long time collaborator with environmental artist Christo died today in New York.
It was there back in 2005 that I saw their last project “The Gates” in Central Park. The beautiful saffron colored curtains of nylon brought the barren winter landscape to life. I was fortunate enough to be in New York the night that 6 inches of fresh snow fell. Seeing the snow start to fall at midnight I felt like a young boy on Christmas Eve looking forward to all the presents that would greet me in the morning.
Woman with the perfect saffron parka taking a photo of "The Gates"
It seemed as though every other photographer in the city had the same idea and it was hard to keep out of each other’s pictures in the snow-covered park. I succeeded until I spotted this woman in a matching saffron parka. I stalked her until I captured this photo of her in front of a pond.
Street lamp covered in snow
I had the pleasure of seeing two of their other installations, one here in Southern California and the other in Miami. When I was living in Florida I drove over to see “Surrounded Islands” where they created a pink ring around a number of islands in Biscayne Bay and in the Grapevine pass north of Los Angeles I was able to see “The Umbrellas”. I both loved the visual impact of their projects and admired how they moved art out into public spaces. This created wonderful conversations about art from people in all walks of live, including those that rarely stepped into an art gallery or museum. To me this is their greatest contribution.
Snow covered tree branch and a series of panels
I’m happy to report that a series of my photos of “The Gates” was selected to appear in the 2005 Communication Arts Photography Annual and the page was used to promote the 2006 competition.
My Gates series was used to promote the CA 2006 competition
I look forward to seeing the completion of some of the team’s work in progress.
Postcript: As I was writing this post I wondered if my friend John Lizvey had any of his photos of the “The Umbrellas” project. He was ambitious enough to go out in the middle of the night, and shot the installation by moonlight when the umbrellas were free from most of the crowds and traffic – except for a Sheriff’s cruiser that roared up and caused a broken lens as John yanked his tripod from the middle of the road. The price we pay to make art.
John Lizvey's moonlight photo of "The Umbrellas"
Mark Harmel
@MarkHarmel
Mark: I, too, had the extreme pleasure of seeing “The Gates” in NYC — stunning — and you captured it well. “The Umbrellas” also were beyond memorable. I still miss them when I drive up Highway 5 and see that rolling landscape they once shaded. Thanks for this thoughtful post.
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Very nice!
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thanks for informing me. I had not heard that she died.
I saw the gates too, and I loved the photos I saw of their works.
Are those shooting stars in the Livzey photo?
Yes, he shot his photo at high midnight. The moon was overhead similar to an afternoon sun in the Summer.
I have always admired John Livzey’s photos. He has a magical eye.
As usual, John Livzey has captured the magic of the moment, with perfect sensitivity for light (and dark), and the smallest, subtlest detail that make his images so different. I love this photo.