French Project

This is Christo (Left) and Jeanne-Claude (Right)

     Christo and Jeanne-Claude were a married couple. They created environmental art. Christo was born in Gabrovo, Bulgaria. His talent was realized at a very young age. He studied art at the Sofia Academy from 1953-1956. After that he went to Prague until 1957, where he left for the west by bribing a railway official to stow him and some other people in train. Soon after this, Christo settled in Vienna and enrolled at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts. Only after one semester there, he traveled to Geneva and moved to Paris in 1958. Because of this flight, Christo became a stateless person. 

     Jeanne-Claude was born in Casablanca, Morocco. She had natural abilities in art and she dyed her hair red and smoked cigarettes. She only became an artist because of her love for Christo. Jeanne-Claude died on November 18, 2009 from complications form a brain aneurysm. As she wished, her body was donated to science. 

Jeanne-Claude (Left) and Christo (Right) at The Gates in New York City

     The couple met in October 1958 when Christo was hired to paint a portrait of Jeanne-Claude's mother. Christo was attracted to Jeanne-Claude's half sister, Joyce, and Jeanne-Claude was engaged to Philippe Planchon. A little before Jeanne-Claude's wedding she found out that she was pregnant with Christo's child. Jeanne-Claude married Philippe, but divorced him right after their honeymoon. On May 11, 1960, the couple had Cyril. Jeanne-Claude's parents weren't happy with this, so they drew apart from her. The couple had their first collaboration in 1961 at the port of Cologne. In 1962, they had their first monumental project, Rideau de Fer (Iron Curtain). The couple did a statement against the Berlin Wall by blocking off Rue Visconti, a small street near the River Seine. They blocked this street with oil barrels. Jeanne-Claude stalled the police by convincing them to allow the piece to stand for a few hours. This project made the couple known in Paris. In February 1964, the couple went to New York City. After a short trip to Europe, they stayed in the United States. 

The Gates

Wrapped Trees

The Umbrellas

    

What about your subject is particularly "French"? 

Christo and Jeanne-Claude weren't from France, but Christo did live in Paris for a brief period of time. His life in Paris included financial troubles and bad social skills. He had difficulty learning French. He earned money by painting portraits. This art is "French" because it is unique and Americans don't use the environment as their art. The couple added a sense of new style to the world of art. They didn't just use paint and brushes, they went all out and put random objects in the environment. 

What significance, if any, does your subject have to the American culture?

Christo and Jeanne-Claude have brought their art into the United States. The art could inspire Americans to go outside and try and find beauty in the most random places, or what Christo and Jeanne-Claude did, which was put objects or cloth in random places. There isn't really a full significance to the American culture with them, but they brought many pieces of their art over to the United States for us to enjoy. 

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christo_and_Jeanne-Claude

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z057rxwJXPo

Project by Jordanna Segal

9/16/11