Page 29 - ARUBA TODAY

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PEOPLE & ARTS Tuesday 19 June 2018
Roll out the barrels: Christo artwork floats on London lake

By JILL LAWLESS the largest sculpture in the
LONDON (AP) — The ducks, world.
geese and hardy cold-wa- Like Christo's other works,
ter swimmers in London's "The London Mastaba" is
Hyde Park have a new temporary. At summer's
neighbor: a monumental end it will be dismantled
floating structure made and the barrels recycled,
from 7,506 stacked barrels in keeping with Christo's
colored bright red, mauve "leave no trace" philoso-
and blue. phy.
"The London Mastaba," un- For now, it floats serenely,
veiled Monday, is the lat- drawing a mixed reaction
est installation by Christo, from the walkers, joggers
a master of supersized art- and cyclists who use the
works who has previously park each day.
wrapped Berlin's Reichstag Local Lucia Halpern, who
in silver fabric and fes- watched the work being
tooned New York's Central constructed in the park
Park with thousands of saf- over two months, said her
fron-colored cloth gates. cockapoo Coco was a
The 83-year-old artist's first fan, "because it keeps the
major creation in London ducks away and she can
rises 65 feet (20 meters) go in the water."
above the surface of the But she declared herself "a
park's Serpentine Lake. Its bit disappointed" by the
slope-sided trapezoid was structure. "The only thing
inspired by ancient Meso- I find beautiful about it is
potamian benches and the reflection in the water,"
Egyptian tombs. The colors she said. "Maybe that's the
have been chosen to com- Artist Christo attends the unveiling of his first UK outdoor exhibit, The London Mastaba, on the point. It's quite pretty when
plement the lush greenery Serpentine Lake in Hyde Park, central London, Monday June 18, 2018. it gets the light and puts
and gray-blue skies of a Associated Press these magenta and pink
London summer. colors on the water."
The sculpture, which will Jeanne-Claude, who died Many of their grander later, it has finally arisen in The Bulgaria-born, New
float on the lake until Sept. in 2009. schemes have never been London. York-based Christo is un-
23, is accompanied by an The pair started experi- built. Others took decades. Since 1977, Christo has concerned about getting
exhibition at the nearby menting with paint cans Christo and Jeanne- been planning an even divergent reviews.
Serpentine Gallery tracing and upsized to oil drums, Claude first dreamed of a bigger version: a mastaba "Any interpretation is legiti-
the barrel-based artworks using them to create walls, floating mastaba — Arabic set in the Abu Dhabi desert mate — critical or positive,"
Christo has created since mounds and other struc- for bench — in 1967. Initially that would be made from he said. "All make you think.
the 1950s — often with his tures both monumental it was to be built on Lake 410,000 barrels, rise 500 feet This is why we are human —
wife and artistic partner, and temporary. Michigan. Five decades (150 meters) and constitute to think."q

'You Were Made for This' explores marriage and parenting

By OLINE H. COGDILL Merry has embraced that his work in Sweden is and Sam, and bonding
Associated Press cooking, canning fruits nonexistent. In private, Sam with Conor.
"You Were Made for This" and vegetables from doesn't miss a chance to The tragedy that follows
(Little, Brown), by Michelle her own garden, and deride his wife, her former is devastating, and
Sacks spending precious time career or her appearance. unpredictable.
Appearances sometimes with Conor. Sam has He condescendingly Each character proves to
are not just deceiving but regenerated his career praises her domestic duties be an unreliable narrator in
can hide fissures so deep filming documentaries by telling her "you were "You Were Made for This,"
and fractured that tragedy and commercials. They made for this." Merry chafes and Sacks excels at making
can seem a surprise when insist that they don't miss at Sam's control, but does Sam, Merry and Frank both
it occurs. Michelle Sacks the chaos of New York little to help herself. Worst the heroes/heroines and
richly explores marriage City where he was an of all, Merry cares nothing the villains.
and parenting — and the anthropology professor at for Conor, will let him cry Each alternately elicits
illusions that some couples Columbia University and for hours and stay in a sympathy from the reader
present to the world — in Merry was a sought-after dirty diaper when she's by and then disgust. These
her riveting debut, "You set designer. herself. are people who inflict a
Were Made for This." But all that is a charade, Then Frank, Merry's best "different kind of violence"
To outsiders, Merry and Sam like one of Merry's intricate friend since they were girls on each other — with This cover image released by
Hachette shows "You Were
Hurley seem to have settled sets. Sam forced Merry to and also worst enemy, "words and silences," how Made For This," a novel by
into an idyllic life in rural move to Sweden where comes for a prolonged "the deft salting of the Michelle Sacks.
Sweden. The Hurleys thrive he had inherited a near visit, upsetting the house wounds you know cut the Associated Press
on being together almost dilapidated house from of cards. Frank knows that deepest."
constantly — "an island of his stepmother. Merry Merry has a life-long habit Sacks, author of the short unflinching look at a
three" — doting on their doesn't know that Sam of deception, and she sets story collection "Stone household under siege
8-month-old baby, Conor. was fired from his job, nor about manipulating Merry Baby" delivers a brilliant, from itself.q