Collection Online as of December 4, 2023
(American, 1935–2020)
Collage: photograph, graphite, wax crayon, fabric, cotton, twine, staples, black crayon
Overall: 71.1 x 55.9 cm (28 x 22 in.)
Gift of Agnes Gund for the Fiftieth Anniversary of The Print Club of Cleveland 1971.48
© Christo 1969
not on view
Christo's monumental, but temporary interventions into cityscapes and landscapes challenge habitual perception. Predictability is interrupted when a familiar building is covered in fabric, for instance, and becomes a new focus of attention. Christo's comment on the transitory nature of his projects, "I seek the involuntary beauty of the ephemeral," indicates that he relishes the memory of creating a satisfying yet unrepeatable experience. Christo's projects include hanging a curtain across a valley in Colorado and wrapping the Pont-Neuf in Paris the and Reichstag in Berlin. To finance these costly undertakings, Christo makes many drawings, collages, and prints. The proceeds from these artworks are then used to fund the installations.