All of the information and images for this blog came from Christo and Jeanne-Claude's website
http://www.christojeanneclaude.net/
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Sunday, November 27, 2011
The Gates
One of their most famous works, The Gates in Central Park New York was completed on February 12, 2005. 7,503 panels of fabric 16 feet tall varied in width from 5 feet 6 inches to 18 feet. Displayed on 25 various walkways over 23 miles in Central Park the free-hanging saffron colored fabric panels were hung horizontally about 7 feet from the ground. Spaced about 12 feet apart The Gates hung for a total of 16 days until the materials were removed and recycled.
600 teams of 8 installed 100 gates per team. The installation included a 5 inch square in which vertical and horizontal poles were extruded in 60 miles of vinyl. The poles were secured with 15,006 steel base footings ranging from 613 to 837 pounds. No holes were made in the ground however all materials were fabricated off site by 7 various manufacturers.
300 additional workers were needed to complete The Gates. These "monitors" assisted in giving the public information of the project. Every worker was compensated and received a hot breakfast. Professional security worked the park after dark to ensure the safety of The Gates.
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| Christo and Jeanne-Claude The Gates, Central Park, New York City, 1979-2005Photo: Wolfgang Volz © 2005 Christo and Jeanne-Claude |
600 teams of 8 installed 100 gates per team. The installation included a 5 inch square in which vertical and horizontal poles were extruded in 60 miles of vinyl. The poles were secured with 15,006 steel base footings ranging from 613 to 837 pounds. No holes were made in the ground however all materials were fabricated off site by 7 various manufacturers.
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| Christo and Jeanne-Claude The Gates, Central Park, New York City, 1979-2005Photo: Wolfgang Volz © 2005 Christo and Jeanne-Claude |
300 additional workers were needed to complete The Gates. These "monitors" assisted in giving the public information of the project. Every worker was compensated and received a hot breakfast. Professional security worked the park after dark to ensure the safety of The Gates.
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| Christo and Jeanne-Claude The Gates, Central Park, New York City, 1979-2005Photo: Wolfgang Volz © 2005 Christo and Jeanne-Claude |
The Wall
On April 6, 1999 the wall of 13,00 oil barrels 85 feet high and 223 feet wide with a depth of 23.7 feet was completed. Located in the Gasometer in Oberhausen this indoor installation designed by Christo and Jeanne-Claude spanned wall to wall in the Gasometer.
The 208 liter capacity barrels were connected to a core made of a steel scaffolding structure in which they were bolted. The whole wall was supported by steel pillars resting on the base of the Gasometer however they were not connected to the steel structure of the Gasometer.
Each barrel was painted various colors; 45% yellow, 30% deep orange, and between 2% and 6.6% of ultramarine blue, sky blue, rock gray, light ivory, and grass green. Weighing about 300 tons the wall was removed and all materials returned for their industrial uses in mid October.
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| Christo and Jeanne-Claude The Wall - 13,000 Oil Barrels, Gasometer, Oberhausen, Germany, 1998-99Photo: Wolfgang Volz © 1999 Christo |
The 208 liter capacity barrels were connected to a core made of a steel scaffolding structure in which they were bolted. The whole wall was supported by steel pillars resting on the base of the Gasometer however they were not connected to the steel structure of the Gasometer.
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| Christo and Jeanne-Claude The Wall - 13,000 Oil Barrels, Gasometer, Oberhausen, Germany, 1998-99Photo: Wolfgang Volz © 1999 Christo |
Each barrel was painted various colors; 45% yellow, 30% deep orange, and between 2% and 6.6% of ultramarine blue, sky blue, rock gray, light ivory, and grass green. Weighing about 300 tons the wall was removed and all materials returned for their industrial uses in mid October.
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| Christo and Jeanne-Claude The Wall - 13,000 Oil Barrels, Gasometer, Oberhausen, Germany, 1998-99Photo: Wolfgang Volz © 1999 Christo |
Wrapped Trees
Designed and fully funded by Christo and Jeanne-Claude the Wrapped Trees were located in the park around Fondation Beyeler, the adjacent meadow, and along the creek of Berower Park at the German border. Originally planned in 1966 the project took years of planning with cooperation of many workers.
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| Christo and Jeanne-Claude Wrapped Trees, Fondation Beyeler and Berower Park, Riehen, Switzerland, 1997-98Photo: Wolfgang Volz © 1998 Christo |
The wrapping began on November 13, 1998 and was completed 9 days later on November 22. The wrapping was removed on December 14, 1998.
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| Christo and Jeanne-Claude Wrapped Trees, Fondation Beyeler and Berower Park, Riehen, Switzerland, 1997-98Photo: Wolfgang Volz © 1998 Christo |
Using 592,015 square feet of translucent woven polyester fabric 178 trees were wrapped with 14.3 miles of rope. The height of the trees varying from 82 feet to 6.5 feet the trees created dynamic pieces of art with beautiful volumes of light and shadow.
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| Christo and Jeanne-Claude Wrapped Trees, Fondation Beyeler and Berower Park, Riehen, Switzerland, 1997-98Photo: Wolfgang Volz © 1998 Christo |
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Wrapped Reichstag
After 24 years of planning, 90 professional climbers and 120 installation workers the Reichstag was officially wrapped completely on June 24, 1995. Remaining wrapped for a total of 14 days, all of the materials were recycled and the project was completely funded by Chriso and Jeanne-Claude.
The entire building was covered by 70 tailor- made fabric panels. About 1,076,390 square feet of polypropylene fabric and 9.7 miles of polypropylene rope covered the facades, towers, and roof of the Reichstag.
Originally built in 1894, Christo and Jeanne-Claude wrapped the Reichstag in order to emphasize its beauty. The fragile fabric shows the beautiful creases and unique quality of the Reichstag. Highlighting the proportions and features of this building, Christo and Jeanne-Claude designed a masterpiece.
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| Christo and Jeanne-Claude Wrapped Reichstag, Berlin, 1971-95Photo: Wolfgang Volz © 1995 Christo |
The entire building was covered by 70 tailor- made fabric panels. About 1,076,390 square feet of polypropylene fabric and 9.7 miles of polypropylene rope covered the facades, towers, and roof of the Reichstag.
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| Christo and Jeanne-Claude Wrapped Reichstag, Berlin, 1971-95Photo: Wolfgang Volz © 1995 Christo |
Originally built in 1894, Christo and Jeanne-Claude wrapped the Reichstag in order to emphasize its beauty. The fragile fabric shows the beautiful creases and unique quality of the Reichstag. Highlighting the proportions and features of this building, Christo and Jeanne-Claude designed a masterpiece.
Friday, November 25, 2011
The Umbrellas
Christo and Jeanne-Claude designed The Umbrellas to represent the differences and similarities in the way of life and the use of land in Japan and the United States. The 26 million dollar project was completely financed by the couple.The Umbrellas spanned over 12 miles in Ilbaraki and 18 miles in California. About 1,880 workers began at sunrise on October 9, 1991 opening 3,100 umbrellas.
All materials for the umbrellas were assembled in Bakersfield, California where 1,340 blue umbrellas were shipped to Japan. The fabric, aluminum super-structure, steel frame bases, anchors, wooden base supports, bags, and molded base covers were all assembled here with the production of 11 various manufacturers.
"The Umbrellas, free standing dynamic modules, reflected the availability of the land in each valley, creating an invitational inner space, as houses without walls, or temporary settlements and related to the ephemeral character of the work of art."
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| Christo The Umbrellas (Joint Project for Japan and USA) Drawing 1989 in two parts 15 x 96" and 42 x 96" (38 x 244 cm and 106.6 x 244 cm) Photo: Wolfgang Volz © 1989 Christo Ref. # 48 |
All materials for the umbrellas were assembled in Bakersfield, California where 1,340 blue umbrellas were shipped to Japan. The fabric, aluminum super-structure, steel frame bases, anchors, wooden base supports, bags, and molded base covers were all assembled here with the production of 11 various manufacturers.
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| Christo and Jeanne-Claude The Umbrellas, Japan-USA, 1984-91Photo: Wolfgang Volz © 1991 Christo |
"The Umbrellas, free standing dynamic modules, reflected the availability of the land in each valley, creating an invitational inner space, as houses without walls, or temporary settlements and related to the ephemeral character of the work of art."
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| Christo and Jeanne-Claude The Umbrellas, Japan-USA, 1984-91Photo: Wolfgang Volz © 1991 Christo |
"In the precious and limited space of Japan, the umbrellas were positioned intimately, close together and sometimes following the geometry of the rice fields. In the luxuriant vegetation enriched by water year round, the umbrellas were blue. In the California vastness of uncultivated grazing land, the configuration of the umbrellas was whimsical and spreading in every direction. The brown hills are covered by blond grass. In that dry landscape, the umbrellas were yellow."
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| Christo and Jeanne-Claude The Umbrellas, Japan-USA, 1984-91Photo: Wolfgang Volz © 1991 Christo |
On October 27, 1991 The Umbrellas were removed and the land was returned to its original state. All of the materials for the umbrellas were recycled.
The Pont Neuf Wrapped
Completed on September 22, 1985 by a staff of 300 professional workers The Pont Neuf was wrapped with 454,178 square feet of woven polyamide fabric. The fabric covered: the sides and vaults of the 12 arches, the parapets down to the ground, the sidewalks and curbs, the street lamps on both sides, the vertical part of the embankment of the western tip of the Île de la Cité, and the Esplanade of the Vert-Galant.
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| Christo The Pont Neuf, Wrapped (Project for Paris) Drawing 1985 in two parts 15 x 96" and 42 x 96" (38 x 244 cm and 106.6 x 244 cm) Photo: Wolfgang Volz © 1985 Christo Ref. # 54 |
Tied down by 8 miles of rope and secured by 12.1 tons of steel chain around the base of each tower and 3.3 feet underwater, the fabric stayed covering The Pont Neuf for 14 days.
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| Christo and Jeanne-Claude The Pont Neuf Wrapped, Paris, 1975-85Photo: Wolfgang Volz © 1985 Christo |
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| Christo and Jeanne-Claude The Pont Neuf Wrapped, Paris, 1975-85Photo: Wolfgang Volz © 1985 Christo |
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