Geoff Mino- Christo and Jeanne-Claude

Christo and Jeanne-Claude have been working together on large environmental art works since 1961. Their projects center around incorporating large amounts of fabric into a well-known environment, usually through wrapping or draping. Because their work involves the use of public space, they have encountered decades-long struggles to produce almost all of their works. Here's a sampling:




Pont Neuf Wrapped


Wrapped Trees


The Gates


I was lucky enough to visit The Gates, and it was magical how Christo and Jeanne-Claude transformed Central Park. They took a space which is invisible and static to the average New Yorker and revitalized it. Furthermore, the brevity of the piece (it existed for only 14 days) created a "specialness" which reinstated the sacred in a place often devoid of uniqueness. This work also created jobs in the community (a big work needs a lot of workers), created a temporary social unity/center, and benefited local charities via donations. It managed to temporarily charge NYC with a new energy-- a perfect manifestation of Christo and Jeanne-Claude's stated goal of causing people "to see and perceive the whole environment with new eyes and a new consciousness."