FLOATING GATE CHASES FLOATING ISLAND
by Jill Fehrenbacher
Did any of you New Yorkers see this? I went down to Manhattan’s waterfront a couple times to try to catch Smithson’s Floating Island, and both times it eluded me (I think the schedule wasn’t as regular as I thought). Anyways, I really missed out, because apparently towards the end of the island’s stint around Manhattan, a floating Christo-esque saffron “Gate” started chasing the floating island. I can’t believe I missed it. It must have been quite a site to see one piece of conceptual art in pursuit of another.
From the New York Times piece on the story:
“When Bob Henry, captain of the Rachel Marie, who is in charge of towing Smithson’s island, looked out across the East River Thursday afternoon and saw another piece of conceptual art gaining on him, he did not view the development kindly.
“I got my own job to do, you know what I mean?” Captain Henry said.
Approaching the Rachel Marie on its starboard side was a small motorboat, affixed to which was a replica of one of the saffron-colored gates created by Christo and Jeanne-Claude that dotted Central Park last winter. Captain Henry remembered “The Gates” and, putting two and two together, he worried that maybe the man in the motorboat was planning on boarding his little version of Central Park and planting a gate somewhere among the trees.”
For those of you who, like myself, missed this whole debacle ? below are some photographs taken by a friend who actually spotted and documented the Floating Island in all its glory (unfortunately no images of the “Floating Gate”)
Photos from Brian Sholis
Thanks Brian!
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