Feng Shui Institute International - Feng Shui and The Gates

Pyramid Feng Shui Looks at The Gates in Central Park

Dr. Gabriele Van Zon, FSII

Feng Shui Universal (http://www.fengshuiuniversal.com)

In creating the path from vision to form, Christo and Jeanne-Claude have made the powers of intention come to fruition with The Gates in Central Park. In their quest, Christo and Jeanne-Claude have pursued their vision since 1979 when they submitted their first proposal to the City of New York.

The Gates are the physical manifestation of the visionary journey as traveled by the two artists. Pyramid Feng Shui sees this journey as the Tao of human experience and interprets its meanings through the science of the person/place connection. The Gates have all the components and aspects of a unifying feng shui experience.

The installation and unfurling of The Gates comes during the growing phase of the lunar cycle during the Chinese New Year 2005. It coincides also with the Tibetan Lunar New Year celebrations where flags are hung outside temples to catch the wind as protection against evil.

The Gates express the human experience of Jeanne-Claude and Christo as a couple. The gateposts can be equated with Jeanne-Claude and Christo standing side by side as a pair in their endeavors with art and in life. The gateposts also stand as the yang component of the work of art representing the masculine principle. They connect at the top with the crossbar holding the yin component of the work of art expressing the feminine principle. The saffron-colored fabric expresses the yin principle as it softly unfurls and then waves and flutters in the breeze. Jeanne-Claude denies any connection of the saffron-colored fabric to the flaming color of her hair. However, in the feng shui experience, we cannot overlook the yin aspect of the work of art pointing to Jeanne-Claude as the yin partner in the artistic and marital relationship of Christo and Jeanne-Claude.

The soft furling fabric connecting the strong metal frame, and together arching over the meandering path, symbolizes the symbiotic relationship of yin and yang creating a whole.

The color of The Gates is deeply empowering to the human experience because orange is the color that makes human beings feel connected. It is also the color that combines the symbolism of fire and earth as a mixture of yellow and red. Red is a color of joy and animation. Yellow is a color of cheerful nurturing and clarity of vision. The two together, once again, unite Christo and Jeanne-Claude as well as all those who will experience the joy of being on the pathways of The Gates.

Pyramid School of Feng Shui denotes all the basic principles of feng shui in the meandering paths of The Gates: the Tao as it connects us to nature and to all the pathways in our journey through life; yin and yang riding the spectrum of opposite extremes and standing for the embodiment of the masculine and feminine principle; qi (chi), experienced with the sensorial systems of living creatures, is powerfully engaged as the saffron-colored fabric of The Gates sways and billows in the wind and by human beings strolling on the meandering pathways of central park.

Searching for the elements, we find the vertical shapes of the gateposts, expressing wood, the element of vegetation and growth. Fire and earth are part of the mixture in the color combination of red and yellow in the various components of The Gates. Metal is obvious in the materials used for the structure with earth supporting metal in the square shape and providing heavy grounding to the sturdy gateposts. The irregular shape and line of water is expressed in the wave and curls of the fabric blowing in the wind.

In Pyramid Feng Shui we look for Tao connections both in the present and in the past. The Gates in Central Park establish a Tao connection to Frederick Law Olmstead, the original designer of Central Park. In a quote from the New York Times, Christo looks back to the unrealized plans of Olmstead and his vision of creating iron gates for many of the entrances in his design for Central Park (NYT February 12).

Christo and Jeanne-Claude have given new power to the principles of definition and legibility by highlighting the pattern of meandering pathways connecting east with west and north to south in the heart space of Manhattan.

Arching the pathways of Central Park with The Gates sends a powerful message of refuge and shelter; refuge from the high-tech way of life on the perimeters around Central Park, since those who enter find refuge from traffic, noise, pollution, and the workplace, as they connect with nature in a brief moment of reprieve during the 16 days of The Gates.

As a work of art The Gates simulate the artist’s vision and selection process of putting a small piece of nature, a detail, into a frame. In the interpretation of Pyramid Feng Shui, The Gates play with the principle of mystery in landscape design by creating see-through effects, similar to Chinese Moon Gates, which raise curiosity and expectation for the unknown on the path ahead. Surprise and discovery are deeply gratifying human experiences in the exploration of nature.

It is not a coincidence that The Gates have been unfurled at the time of year when nature is dormant, bringing color and movement to a sleepy Central Park. Those who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) will benefit from going through the joyful experience of being once again in touch with nature by being outdoors and by making their way through the sensorial experience of The Gates.

Access to The Gates is free of charge. The artwork belongs to the public and the City of New York as a gift from Jeanne-Claude and Christo to be remembered as “once upon a time” when the manifestation of their vision became form and as a tribute to the power of intention in overcoming obstacles and adversity.

Pyramid Feng Shui congratulates Christo and Jeanne-Claude in their quest for manifesting a physical, highly legible project, which also stands as a replication of the human experience and its journey through life. Christo prefers experience over talk, and so does Pyramid Feng Shui. However, this talk about Feng Shui and The Gates, reveals not only that The Gates stand unique as a work of art, but that the art experience is created by each and every individual who is exposed to The Gates of Central Park by seeing color and movement, feeling the breeze, hearing the fluttering, touching the materials, and imagining the subtle scent of saffron as the precious fruits on the pistil of a flower.

Christo is with us when he says that the meaning of The Gates is not about “rational inquiry and talk;” rather, it is about human beings connecting to the physical space by walking through The Gates and engaging all their senses in a deeply gratifying experience. Christo is quoted as saying, “it is real physical space. You need to spend time walking in the cold air – sunny day, rainy day, even snow (NYT February 12).”

Pyramid Feng Shui endorses The Gates as a symbol of connecting the world of art to the world of feng shui; a symbol that we can look to at all times when we search for deeper meaning in the feng shui experience. “Once upon a time” a vision became form to be remembered and deeply imbedded in the memory of the person/place connection.

Please do not re-produce without permission

Note: Dr. Van Zon will expand on this article at Feng Shui Institute International’s 2005 “Power of Intention” Conference. Her presentation is entitled Feng Shui Eyes: Looking at Art and Creating the Path from Vision to Form. The presentation will be held in St. Augustine, Florida from November 4 – 6. Details are at: http://www.fengshui-ii.org/fengshuiconference.htm

About Dr. Gabriele Van Zon

Gabriele Van Zon has a Ph.D. in the Aesthetics of Verbal and Visual Arts. Her involvement in the Chinese Arts includes studies in Mandarin, Chinese Brush & Ink Painting, Chinese Calligraphy, Tai Chi and Qi Gong. She is a published author and appeared on talk shows.

Certified by the Feng Shui Institute of America to practice Pyramid School of Feng Shui, she serves the greater Lake Tahoe area as well as Jacksonville, Florida. She is also a Board Member of Feng Shui Institute International and a Faculty Member of Feng Shui Institute of America. She has lectured at universities, women's centers, associations of realtors and designers, retirement communities, professional clubs and social clubs.