Christo and Jean-Claude

The Corsair has had, for some time now, a strange fascination with the Christo and Jean-Claude collabo. Not that we think what they do is actually Art. It isn't. But it's such a perfect little hustle. Giving the hoi polloi a studied mix of a Duchampion wit and trendy environmentalism covering great distances (do they get paid by the yard?). The preliminary drawings can be autographed and sold for extra lucre on the side. We hope we don't disturb their groove by publishing this post.

Modernism forever shattered (into neat Cubist shards) the idea of Art being Art by having some transcendental aim in mind, some goal, some idealized sense awesome beauty directed after solving mysteries like "God," or "Love." Instead, we get now satirical little ditty's alighting important issues like Campbell's Beef Consomme. Charmed, I'm sure (Averted Gaze). We are quite sure Vermeer would never sign copies of New York Magazine.

But such is "Progress." The Gates, which covers 23 miles of footpaths in Central Park with free hanging saffron-colored fabric panels (Averted Gaze), will do much (exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment), to be sure, to resuscitate the dying Muse. According to our favorite social chronicler since Wharton, NYSocial Diary:



Above: Jean-Clause and Christo: Boobs ascending a staircase.

"So, over at Hermes, the couple were coming to discuss their project with a couple of hundred people who had gathered for it. They are an interesting couple to see. Jean-Claude is the spokesman, by nature. Christo is a rather sweet-seeming, attentive man who defers to his wife.

"Despite his age, he appears to be a bundle of youthful energy and brilliance. They are a team, 100% fifty-fifty. It?s rather interesting to observe, and like their works, you come away thinking about it for a long time after. I waited for some time for their arrival (which was supposed to be about seven). After seven-thirty, I decided to leave as I had other places to go, and have met the Christos and had long ago talked to them about their project. On leaving, I caught them in flight arriving ? up the four flights to the top floor rotunda of the store. A terrible photograph but ... you get the picture."

Christo is, by the way, a Gemini (as is The Corsair), a sign forever in search of it's perceived lost twin, which, it seems, the "artist" appears to have found, in the form of a PR agent, which is a vocation, ironically enough, also ruled by Mercury.