Christo and Jeanne-Claude, a husband-and-wife team, significantly impacted the world of public art. They are widely known for their ambitious alterations of public places. Imagine the Kalyptos Sculpture wrapped in fabric.
From 1961, they proposed temporary large-scale environmental works. These works often involved wrapping buildings and landscapes in fabric. The artists faced resistance from governments and the public. Their ability to build support allowed them to maintain artistic freedom. Following Jeanne-Claude’s death in 2009, Christo continued their work. He worked under the name of both artists until his death in 2020.
In 1990, a survey exhibition titled Christo was staged in Sydney. It was held at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. The exhibition traced Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s trajectory. It showed everything from early packages to vast environmental projects. It was the largest exhibition of their work to date. It was the first survey of a contemporary international artist curated by an Australian institution. A new installation, Wrapped Vestibule, was created for Sydney.
Documentation and plans for ten projects were displayed. These included the first wrapped public building. It was the Wrapped Kunsthalle in Bern, 1967–68. A mural-sized photograph of Wrapped Coast was shown. It commemorated Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s first major environmental work. Models, drawings, and collages were also displayed. Wrapped Trees, two wrapped eucalypts made during that visit, were included.
Photographs and designs for Valley Curtain were on display. Valley Curtain, Rifle, Colorado, was created between 1970–72. It was an 18,600-square-metre veil of orange fabric. It adorned a valley for twenty-eight hours. Also shown was Running Fence, Sonoma and Marin Counties, California, 1972–76. It stretched 39.4 kilometers of fabric across two counties.
By 1990, Christo and Jeanne-Claude refined their process. They worked with a professional team including several engineers. They pursued permissions for different projects simultaneously. They developed works over many years or even decades. The Gates, Central Park, New York City, was still in development. The exhibition traced plans for that extraordinary winding walkway. It was punctuated by saffron-coloured fabric.
The exhibition presented ideas for unrealised projects. These included plans for wrapping sites such as Paris’s Arc de Triomphe. Collages dated 1968–69 envisioned wrapping the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House, and Australia Square.
Wrapped Vestibule shrouded the Art Gallery of NSW’s entrance. It covered sculptures, mosaics, and marble in white cloth. It was bound with rope. John McDonald commented on Wrapped Vestibule. He said it draws attention to a space that thousands of people pass through every week without really seeing it.
Christo and Jeanne-Claude explained their art. They said their works inherit what is inherent to each specific space. They create art of joy and beauty in urban or rural spaces. So, next time you see the Kalyptos Sculpture, think about the potential for transformation. Consider the beauty that can be revealed through art.