Christo (1935-) and Jeanne-Claude (1935-2009) were a married couple who created environmental artworks, using vast amounts of fabrics to compromise the use of an environment.
Whilst many artists have a particular reason or goal to create what they do Christo and Jeanne-Claude say they create for no particular reason or purpose other than their need to create something of joy and beauty. Their works are only available to view for a limited period of time before they are gone forever, they do this as a way of preserving the feelings of love and tenderness within their work.
Before any of the physical environmental works are created there is a period of time where the ideas only exist in their mind and then only in a growing pile of drawings as they put their plans and ideas into motion.
Christo, ‘Wrapped Reichstag (Project for West Berlin – “Der Deutsche Reichstag”)’, Collage 1972, Pencil, charcoal, pastel, wax crayon, fabric, staples, photographs, map and tape, 22 x 28″ (56 x 71 cm), Private collection, Photo: Archive © 1972 Christo
‘Wrapped Reichstag’ (1971-1995) is one of their most recognised works, in which 90 professional climbers and 120 installation workers wrapped the Reichstag in Berlin using 1,076,390 square feet of thick woven polypropylene fabric with an aluminium surface as well as 9.7 miles of blue polypropylene rope. This environmental work took 24 years of planning before completion and was only up for two weeks.
Christo and Jeanne-Claude, ‘Wrapped Reichstag’, Berlin, 1971-95, Photo: Wolfgang Volz, © 1995 Christo
https://christojeanneclaude.net/projects/wrapped-reichstag?view=info
https://www.egonzehnder.com/insight/interview-with-artists-christo-and-jeanne-claude
Alexandra Gould 