The Gates: What’s the point of taking pictures?

As I mentioned a few days ago, I went to see "The Gates" - Environmental art by Christo. My reaction: much better and cooler than I thought it would be. Not that there were any surprises - it 's exactly what it was said to be: a whole bunch of orange (oops, sorry, safron) rectangular 'gates' all over many of the paths and byways of Central Park in New York City.

The impact of the scale of the project is perhaps what was the surprise. You stand one a path, under the canopy of one Gate - and for as far as your eye can follow the path, more and more gates. But then you look around you, and in the distance, almost along the horizon, more and more gates, everywhere. It evokes the feeling of being part of a huge parade or ceremony. Surprisingly powerful. What's the point of taking pictures? I had forgotten my camera and as I was walking around it occurred to me: Flikr! Check this out! There are over 4000 pictures, and that only under one tag. Other than perhaps a picture with Me in it, I don't think there's any picture that I could have taken that is not already in this collection!