RIP Christo, one of the most extraordinary artists of our time. My favorite piece of his was the Reichstag - - he turned a hulking, imposing government building into something out of a fairy tale.
But of course The Gates have a special place in my heart because I was in their presence, quite a few times, when they were installed in Central Park in February 2005. I was late at work one night, I think we might have been having a unannounced accreditation survey, I didn't leave work until almost 8 PM. I decided to treat myself to a walk through the Park, through The Gates. It was snowy and still and it was magical, stunning, unforgettable.
Here's a lovely piece by Morley Safer on 60 Minutes about The Gates and about Christo and his wife and collaborator, Jeanne-Claude: