Massive Expanses of Fabric
THE CREATIONS OF CHRISTO AND JEANNE-CLAUDE
In the popular consciousness, Christo and Jeanne-Claude are oft associated with their wrappings, including the 2.4 kilometers of the Australian coast in Little Bay that were wrapped with synthetic fabric in 1969.
If there is one factor connecting much of their work, however, it is not the act of “wrapping,” but rather the grandeur and vast magnitude of these fabric, cloth, and textile displays.
Christo and Jeanne-Claude. Wrapped Coast, One Million Square Feet. Little Bay, Australia, 1968–69. Photo: Harry Shunk. © Christo 1969.
Consider, for instance, the 11 islands in Biscayne Bay, Florida, which were completely surrounded with floating, pink polypropylene fabric. Or the 40 kilometer-long piece known as “Running Fence”: an extension of nylon fabric that stretched across Northern California, rolling up and down hillsides until reaching the coast and extending into the ocean.
Christo and Jeanne-Claude finance every one of their works themselves, accepting no donations or sponsors.
Christo and Jeanne-Claude. Running Fence. Sonoma and Marin Counties, California, 1972–76. Photo: Jean-Claude. © Christo 1976.
While on display, these creations often incorporate the natural elements. As the California sunlight reflects off of “Running Fence” or the wind blows across the wrapped Australian coast, they become visibly manifested in ways previously unseen. Although the artists remove all physical traces of their work after its exhibition, witnesses have stated that the landscape undergoes a metaphysical change that remains imprinted on the terrain long after the artwork has been dismantled. —DJS