Running Fence

Completed on September 10, 1976 after 42 months of construction north of San Francisco near freeway 101, Running Fence is on the private properties of 59 ranchers and follows the peaks and valleys of the natural land until dropping down at Bodega Bay of the Pacific Ocean. The fence is 18 feet high and 24.5 miles long. 

Christo
Running Fence
(Project for Sonoma County and Marin County, State of California)
Drawing 1975
28 x 22" (71 x 56 cm)
Photo: Wolfgang Volz
© 1975 Christo

Made out of 2 pieces of heavy woven white nylon fabric of 152 and 780 square feet each, the fence hung from a steel cable which was strung between 2,050 steel poles. No concrete was used to embed the fence 3 feet in the ground but it was braced laterally with guy wires and 14,000 earth anchors.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude
Running Fence, Sonoma and Marin Counties, California, 1972-76
Photo: Wolfgang Volz
© 1976 Christo

Crossing 14 roads Running Fence ran through the town of Valley Ford while leaving room for cars, wildlife, and cattle. Christo and Jeanne-Claude designed the fence to be viewed following 40 miles of public roads in Sonoma and Marin Counties. After 14 days standing, the fence was removed and all of the materials were given to the ranchers. 

Christo and Jeanne-Claude
Running Fence, Sonoma and Marin Counties, California, 1972-76
Photo: Wolfgang Volz
© 1976 Christo

Valley Curtain

After 28 months of working on The Valley Curtain, on August 11, 1972 in Rifle, Colorado, Christo and Jeanne-Claudes massive fabric project was completed. Completely financed by The Valley Curtain Corporation in which Christo and Jeanne-Claude were the presidents no donations or sponsorship were accepted. They sold studies, preparatory drawings and collages, scale models, early works and original lithographs to raise enough money to complete the project.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude
Valley Curtain, Rifle, Colorado, 1970-72
Photo: Wolfgang Volz
© 1972 Christo

Suspended at 1,250 feet with a height curving from 356 feet at each end to 182 feet in the middle, the curtain hung in the Rifle gap above highway 325. Remaining clear of the slopes and valley bottom, a skirt had to be attached to the lower part of the curtain to visually complete the area between the thimbles and the ground.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude
Valley Curtain, Rifle, Colorado, 1970-72
Photo: Wolfgang Volz
© 1972 Christo

The curtain was secured with 11 cable clamps which connected at 4 main upper cables. 1,368 feet long and 61 tons heavy, the cables were anchored to 864 tons of concrete foundations.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude
Valley Curtain, Rifle, Colorado, 1970-72
Photo: Wolfgang Volz
© 1972 Christo

For added insurance an inner cocoon was added and the bottom of the curtain was laced to a 3 inch in diameter Dacron rope. The rope was control and tie-down lines ran to 27 anchors. After 60 mph winds occurred the curtain was forced to be removed after 28 hours of standing.

Wrapped Coast

The Wrapped Coast project originally designed, drawn, and planned by Christo and Jeanne-Claude was completed on October 28, 1969 completely funded by the couple. Located in Little Bay, nine miles southeast of Sydney, Australia the environmental piece captivated viewers for ten weeks.

Christo
Packed Coast
(Project for Australia near Sydney - Little Bay)
Collage 1969
28 x 22" (71 x 56 cm)
Photo: Harry Shunk
© 1969 Christo

Approximately 1.5 miles long, 150 to 800 feet wide, and 85 feet high, this masterpiece covered the northern cliffs of the South Pacific Ocean. Famous for their "wrappings" and environmental works, this was one of the first pieces the couple designed and completed.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude
Wrapped Coast, One Million Square Feet, Little Bay, Sydney, Australia, 1968-69
Photo: Harry Shunk
© 1969 Christo

The cliffs were wrapped using one million square feet of erosion-control fabric as well as 35 miles of polypropylene rope 0.6 inches in diameter. About 25,000 charges of fasteners, threaded studs, and clips were used by ramset guns to secure the fabric.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude
Wrapped Coast, One Million Square Feet, Little Bay, Sydney, Australia, 1968-69
Photo: Harry Shunk
© 1969 Christo

After the ten weeks of display, the fabric and all materials were dismantled and recycled and the area was returned to normal.

Christo's Wrapped Bottles, Cans, and Crates (1958-1960)

Christo's very early artwork began in 1958 when he moved to Paris. Gathering empty cans, bottles, and crates and covering them with resin-soaked canvas, tying them up and coating them with glue, varnish, sand, and a thin layer of dark-black or brown lacquer Christo created masterpieces with a limited amount of resources. After meeting and falling in love with Jeanne-Claude, Christo continued his work in their shared apartment in Paris.

Christo
Inventory
1958–60
Group of wrapped and not wrapped cans, oil barrels and crates
Photo: René Bertholo
© 1958-60 Christo

Christo's artistic expressions began to reveal the relations and comparative analysis of various objects, surfaces, and materials. Unfortunately, many of Christo's early works have not survived. After being unable to pay their rent, the landlord of the couple’s home threw majority of the works away. Some black and white photos do exist of his crates but many of the pieces physically standing today are cans and bottles.

Christo
Wrapped Cans
1958–59
Group of ten cans, five wrapped
diameter of each: 4 to 4 1/8" (10 to 10.5 cm)
heigt of each: 4 3/4 to 5 1/8" (12 to 13 cm)
one bottle: 10 3/4 x 3" (27 x 7.5 cm)
Photo: Eeva Inkeri
© 1958-59 Christo

Background Information

Although born on the same day, Christo Vladimirov Javacheff and Jeanne-Claude Marie Denat come from very different backgrounds. Christo born in Gabrovo, Bulgaria of an industrialist family grew up to study art at the Fine Arts Academy in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Gabrovo, 1942
Christo (left) and his two brothers Stefan (center) and Anani (right)
Photo: Vladimir Yavachev
© 1942 Christo

Jeanne-Claude grew up to study Latin and Philosophy at the University of Tunis. Eventually meeting in Paris in 1958 after Christo leaves Bulgaria for Prague and Czechoslovakia escaping communism. Soon married, Christo and Jeanne-Claude make their way overseas to the United States in 1964 with their four year old son. Beginning in 1961, they have continued creating masterpieces in both rural and urban landscapes. 

Taroudant, 1940
Jeanne-Claude
Photo: Archive
© 1940 Christo

Taking years to plan with no financial help, Christo and Jeanne-Claude create beautiful masterpieces all over the world. Beginning in the 1960’s selling Christo’s preliminary drawings and lithographs the couple chooses to accept no financial help while creating there works with no influence a financial background may cause. Many paid workers are needed to physically create their works with the approval of various communities and governments and often takes years of planning. With all the work put into their art, the outcomes are truly magnificent.