Just like her massive projects with husband/partner Christo – the memorial service for Jeanne – Claude this week was a massive event to be remembered long after it ends. The memorial was held at the MET – by invitation only. It was a who’s who list of art world guests. There were 3 levels of VIP seating – the lowest level of VIPs were forced to take a bus to the Boat House in Central Park and watch the event via flat screen.
Christo & Jeanne-Claude, The Gates, NYC, 1979-2005
Despite the pretentions and cold, rainy weather, the event was genuine and uplifting. Speakers reminisced about her whit and will. One of my favorite stories was told by an art critic and close friend who was acquainted with Jeanne -Claude just before her first marriage. He recalled how she fell in love with a poor Bulgarian artist assigned to paint her portrait while she was already engaged to a high society Parisian. Jeanne –Claude’s whit and will purveyed and one evening shortly after the honeymoon her husband returned home to find that all of the locks had been changed. Jeanne Claude called out from a window “your locks don’t fit in my key.”
Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Valley Curtain, Riffle Colorado, 1970-72 Photo courtesy of Wolfgang Volz
That was the end of that, and the start of a passionate 51 year relationship with her Bulgarian artist / husband Christo. Together the duo Christo Jeanne-Claude would revolutionize the contemporary art world, becoming infamous for their monumental scale wrappings and other public works. Between 1958 and 2009 (Jeanne- Claude died in November due to a brain aneurysm), the couple created 20 projects – two of which are still in progress. They also proposed 39 that were refused. Of the 18 completed many took years of persistency to receive permission – Wrapped Trees took 32 years 1966-1998.
Christo and Jeanne-Claude Wrapped Trees, Fondation Beyeler and Berower Park, Riehen, Switzerland 1997-98 Photo: Wolfgang Volz
Christo and Jeanne-Claude Wrapped Coast, One Million Square Feet, Little Bay, Australia, 1968-69 Photo: Harry Shunk
Despite their controversial commissions, the works have no hidden agendas, and are meant for aesthetic enjoyment and to provide new ways of viewing familiar landscapes. Their wrappings are gifts to the world, meant to be treasured and remembered even after they are unwrapped. When viewing their work it is important to remember the number one rule of gift giving /receiving– the funny shaped ones are always the best.
Christo and Jeanne-Claude Wrapped Reichstag, Berlin 1971-95
