Christo and Jeanne Claude´s quotes, from John Grande´s interview

100,000 square meters of polypropylene to wrap the Reichstag, the old German parliament building, in 1995 after receiving government approval. http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/051001/Ent_Big.html

The wrapping artist Christo  (b. 1935) was attracted by the systematic artistic representations in the times of the New Realism. He is well known for his packages , mysterious objects –usually public buildings- which sometimes conceal or suggest what is wrapped up in them.

Christo and his American wife and partner Jeanne-Claude, were both born on June 13, 1935. They have worked together since their first outdoor temporary work Dockside Packages, Cologne Harbor, 1961. Jeanne-Claude, 74, died suddenly in November 18, 2009 as a result of complications due to a ruptured brain aneurysm.  

Jeanne Claude and Christo. From http://z.about.com/d/arthistory/1/0/X/u/jeanne-claude_christo.jpg

In 1994 they decided to officially change the artist name Christo into the artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude for outdoor environmental projects exclusively.

There is an interesting interview on line related to the book ¨Dialogues in Diversity¨, both of them by John Grande, that shows the artists´ beginnings and comments about their famous installations. Here we have some of their quotes, the link to the complete interview is below. We may read it as an homage to  their impressive artistic career.

¨Scale as a way of communicating applies to any work of art whether it is a sculpture by Calder or apples by Cézanne. The scale is always a way of communicating. It is most obvious, for instance, in a sculpture called David, by Michelangelo¨.

¨Our aim is to create a work of art of joy and beauty which we create for ourselves and our friends exactly as all true artists do. They always create a work of art for themselves first. If it so happens that other people enjoy it, that is a bonus. but that is not the aim. Our aim is to create a work of art of joy and beauty and to create it in total freedom and that is why we pay ourselves for all our projects. We accept no sponsors, no donations¨.

¨Our work has to be experienced, lived, touched... People have to feel the air, see the work breathing, living, moving in the wind, changing colours every time of the day. Images, whether they are books, postcards, posters or films do not substitute. They are a souvenir, a record but they do not substitute the real experience,….¨

¨There is no definition of aesthetic. When we say we want to create works of art of joy and beauty. Joy and beauty have many many different facets. For instance part of our aesthetic, an important point, is the way we finance our projects in total freedom That is also part of what we call our aesthetic¨.

¨We do not make `events`. We create works of art. Because we never do the same work of art twice, we discover the reality to be something not foreseen. For all our projects, once we see the work of art completed, it always exceeds our expectations¨.

Christo´s umbrellas in Japan from http://blogimg.goo.ne.jp/user_image

To read the interview click here

http://www.ecologicalart.org/chrisandjean2.html