Christo
and Jeanne-Claude: Gentle Disturbances
by Kathleen Lang
Recently, we attended
a lecture given by the collaborative artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude
at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose, CA. As part of a series sponsored
by the San Jose Museum of Art's "Surroundings" exhibit, this particular
lecture featured an overview of their work and a question and
answer period.
Christo and
Jeanne-Claude at book signing in San Jose
Photo: Doug Lang
The two artists are
best known for their site specific installations that wrap an
architectural monument: The Pont Neuf Wrapped, Paris, 1975-85,
September 1985, Wrapped Reichstag, Project for Berlin, 1971-95,
June 1995.
Or, redefine a landscape:
Running Fence, Sonoma and Marin Counties, California 1972-76,
September 1976, Surrounded Islands, Biscayne Bay, Greater Miami
Florida, 1980-83, May 1983, and The Umbrellas, Japan-USA,
1984-91, October 1991.
Surrounded
Islands, Biscayne Bay, Miami, Florida, 1980-83
Christo & Jeanne-Claude
Photo: Wolfgang Volz
©1983 Christo
These were all enormous
projects in terms of scale, cost and planning. Sometimes it can
take years for the artists to obtain the required permits to carry
out their plans. The permit process often requires extensive environmental
studies, costing millions of dollars. Avoiding words like "red
tape" or "bureaucracy", Christo and Jeanne-Claude
simply call their quest to get a project approved as "process."
Perhaps what is most amazing is that the artists pay for all the
materials themselves. They never accept grants or donations to
support their art ventures. Refusing such financial assistance
assures their artistic freedom. This approach is all the more
incredible when we learned that the cost for the Umbrella project
alone was $26,000,000.!
The Umbrellas,
Japan - USA, 1984-91
Christo & Jeanne-Claude
Photo: Wolfgang Volz
©1991 Christo
In order to pay for
these artworks, Christo makes drawings, scale-models and preparatory
studies and sells them to the public and collectors through art
dealers. And when they have earned enough money, they begin to
execute their project.
Jeanne-Claude described
their philosophy to "create works of art of joy and beauty." There
is no purpose whatsoever she says, "it's just a work of art."
But if you are familiar with their work, you will know that there
is far more to their art.
Because their works
disrupt large buildings or vast landscapes, the artists insist
that the viewer perceive his environment differently. Christo
calls these disruptions to our surroundings as "gentle disturbances."
The resulting effect has been described as magical. By wrapping
or surrounding, the artists have now re-created an environment
that at times even surprises the artists themselves.
A good example is Running
Fence that traversed over twenty miles through portions of
Marin and Sonoma counties in 1976. Although all segments of the
fabric was the same, the qualities of the fabric would be altered
according to the changing light and shadow. At times the sun's
changing position would create a luminous quality to the fence.
And as the wind blew, the fabric would create an ethereal sound
in the otherwise quiet landscape. These elements of environmental
chance would not have been able to be controlled by the artists.
Running Fence,
Sonoma and Marin Counties Coast, 1972-76
Christo & Jeanne-Claude
Photo: Jeanne-Claude
©1976 Christo
Jeanne-Claude said
that during their entire artistic career the most difficult part
of every project is getting permission and the appropriate permits
to carry out their projects. Take a second look at the dates of
each artwork above and you will see how long each project can
take from conception to completion. The longest project, Wrapped
Reichstag, for example, took 23 years to complete. This degree
of persistence is underscored by the fact that each project only
lasts 14 days. After that, the project is disassembled and all
the materials are recycled.
Wrapped Reichstag,
Project for Berlin, 1971 - 1995
Photo: AK Ciesielski
©1995 Christo
Currently, Christo
and Jeanne-Claude have two projects planned, but are still going
through the permit process: The Gates, Project for Central
Park, New York City and Over the River, Project for the
Arkansas River, Colorado. We don't know where the artists
find their endless energy, but we are indebted to their ongoing
commitment to creating some of the most innovative and imaginative
art.
The Gates,
Project for Central Park, New York
Collage 1981: 71 x 56 cm (28" x 22")
©1981 Christo
Photo: Wolfgang Volz
Over The River,
Project For Arkansas River, Colorado
Drawing 1992. 106.6 x 165 cm (42" x 65")
©1992 Christo
Photo: Simon Chaput
For
more information about Christo and Jeanne-Claude, please visit
their web site at http://christojeanneclaude.net/index.html
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