Christo and Jeanne-Claude

Christo and Jeanne-Claude

 

            Christo and Jeanne-Claude were a married couple who created impressive large-scale works of art, usually consisting of famous locations or monuments wrapped in fabric.  Because of the colossal and temporary nature of their projects, the only way to share their art today is through photographs.  Christo and Jeanne-Claude took fabric and draped it over and around buildings, monuments, and more.  According to the couple, they create these works of art to provide new and interesting ways to look at familiar landscapes.  Among the places and things they have wrapped in fabric are Little Bay in Australia, the Miami Islands, the Pont Neuf,  the Reichstag, and even trees.  In addition to their wrappings, they also had an installation of blue umbrellas in Japan and yellow umbrellas in California, which attracted many tourists until it had to be taken down.   

            Though Christo and Jeanne-Claude claimed that their art only served the purpose of being aesthetically pleasing and did not hold deeper meanings, I find that their art contains themes of awareness through absence.  Also, I like that they are so successful making environmental art, which is a small field to work in.  I chose to research their work because I was interested in the process of wrapping the buildings, and I was surprised to learn that after each installation is complete, all of the materials are often recycled.  I find that this is extremely important for them as environmental artists.