How he Paid for his Gates

Christo is in the news big time right now, after the newly opened installation of his 23-miles of orange gates with flowing orange curtains on top. The thousands of upside down 'U's circle New York's Central Park, and have been on the drawing board since 1979. This new installation cost $21 million. So how did he raise the money?

Christo doesn't take foundation grants or government money. Like his exhibit in Marin County CA where he strung up gauzy curtains over 24 miles from the hills down to the sea, he earns the money and spends it on the exhibitions. He sells drawings, and photographs of the work in such huge numbers that he can pay that huge bill all by himself. Gotta admire this, in an age of ridiculous arts grants such as the guy who got the money to put a crucifix in a jar of urine and call it art. Hey, call Christo's flowing Gates what you will, but it has brought the city out to view it and nobody but the artist footed the bill.