Christo and Jeanne Claude

When I was in college, back in '82, we had a lecture series of movies of his works to date (most notably Running Fence) and a lecture by Christo and Jeanne Claude...

I like his work very much...

truth
To confess my limitations, I don't respond to Christo or any of the other Herculean artists. Bigness is no criterion for me.

Joanne, I have a link somewhere on the NY show, will post it after work.

He has taken concept art and made it into an event. It is something like climbing a mountain because it is there.

truth
Like climbing a mountain, yes. That's why I called it Herculean Art.

Yes, because it is there that is good. I like it because it is bold and I have been looking for one he did in CA but cannot remember the city or area. I thing it had something to do with the wind turbos but I am not sure.

Does "bold" equal "good"?

No not all the time just like big does not always mean good. What I appreciated about Cristo is his use the earth comgined with his vision.

Is his vision consistant with a sylvan setting?

I was just being contentious. The "art" won't be installed until February and will only be up for two or three weeks; hence he and his fans will have a chance to admire it and most park regulars, who don't spend much time in the park at that time (myself included), won't be offended.

and, most important, because it 'needs to be done'!

Can you please explain "needs to be done". I do not believe that people felt that they were deprived without his previous works.

Christo's work to me represents man's intrusion on nature as well as putting his stamp on nature. In doing so he has called attention to natural wonders -- the wall of curtains following the terrain, the color contrast to the surroundings, the representation of the effect of the wind -- many things to convey man's relationship to nature. It's an abstract concept that I believe one would have to see in person to really appreciate.

probably very true - I don't really relate to his work at all.

art, for me, is 'emotional communication'; and the 'objects' that christo wraps, or otherwise 'accents' do seem to have a 'presence' that requires 'pointing out' (similar to lW's comment).

i feel that he is 'embracing' it, not despoiling it, but the important thing to me, and i think probably to Christo, is that people react strongly to the works rendering them, in my mind, fully valid, and valuable works of art.

connecting intellects is hard enough; but joining hearts virtually impossible.
(and for everything else, there's MasterCard!)

According to the New Yorker it will consist of 7,500
gates and polymer banners and will surround Central Park. It has taken 20 years to get the OK from the city and Mayor Bloomberg was the catalyst. I was amazed at the beauty of his renderings and drawings which are now fetching huge sums and are the basis for the collateral loans that underwrite his herculean art work. By the way, his wife Jeann-Claude deserves an equal amount of respect for without her there would be no Christo art.

Check out the New Yorker-Mar.29

Art can be an emotional or intellectual communication or a combination of both. In film, Stanley Kubrick explored both. If you see Christo's work in person there is an emotional impact. I went to see the curtain he did on the California coast and it did have an emotional impact in a metaphysical way.

Good comparison LW I like it and thanks for the memory of the curtains.

truth
The Wizard's reading of the meaning of Christos' work, viz. that it critiques man's imposition on nature (in contrast to embracing nature), is the kindest (and the most interesting) I've heard yet. I still don't respond to it. And I don't think I would in person either. If I want to marvel at size I'll go to Niagara Falls.
BTW, my unkind reading is that he wants to improve on nature, and, of course, fails utterly.