Christo and Jeanne-Claude are couple and they are artists who wraps objects (big and small but usually large scaled) with materials like fabric as their artwork. Their works are usually site-specific and only remains for a short while. They are teo of the only few unconventional artists that i really like :) Below are my answers to blogtask 1 on Chrsito and Jeanne-Claude. Their website is http://www.christojeanneclaude.net/
Q1. Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s work is highly unique. How would you describe this artwork to one of your peers? Use art specific vocabulary, as well as adjectives to answer.
Christo and Jeanne-Claude
Their works are highly unique and unconventional, usually cannot be found in museums as they are usually very large-scaled and will only exist for a short period of time. This specific artwork of theirs is actually the wrapping of a coast (Little Bay at Sydney) with an opaque cloth that lasts for only ten weeks after its completion. Indeed, the uniqueness of their artwork also lies in the fact that they do not exist forever, and what are left after the cloth has been taken down are just photographs that capture the essence of their work. This hence also makes their artwork more significant and memorable.
In this particular artwork, Wrapped Coast, like any other of his similar wrapping artwork, focuses a lot on the way the fabric is wrapped around the coast to produce sense of movement and a sense of fluidity. This is juxtaposition of the soft cloth and edgy rocks on the coast. The coast is full or sharp-edged rocks and covering the edged coast with cloth gives the coast a new look altogether as the different and ever-changing folds on the cloth changed not only the colour of the coast, but also its texture and shape. When wind blows, air lifts up the cloth and puffs them up, making the hard edges look very soft and adding curves into the artwork, which already consists of vertical and horizontal lines created by sharp edges of the rocks underneath the cloth and strings used in the artwork to secure the cloth and also to add in the lines into the artwork. Draperies at the end of the cloth also flow with the wind horizontally and vertically at the same time, giving the artwork a deeper sense of fluidity. When it rains, the water that fall onto the cloth presses the cloth onto the rocks on the coast, and this is when a total new look is created as there is no longer curves and draperies, but hard edges with patches of stagnant water collected on it. Hence, the look of the artwork is changing as the weather changes, and even if the weather does not change, the strength of wind present will change the curves and folds formed on the artwork.
Other than shape and lines, shadows on the cloth also add shades to the opaque single-coloured cloth that is over it. As the time of the day changes or the position of the viewer changes, the shadows on the rocks changes too. This makes the artwork more fascinating as even though the cloth used is single coloured, it can still have multi shades of the colour, adding depth into artwork.
Q2. In your own words, what is the subject matter of ‘Wrapped Coast’? What was the purpose of creating such a monumental work?
I think the subject matter of this artwork is the cloth used in wrapping the coast. This is because in the artwork, what we see is actually only the cloth and how the cloth has been folded into different shapes and forms depending on the object wrapped. As the weather changes, the folds and lines on the cloth changes; so do the curves caused by air flowing underneath it and the flowing of the draperies at the ends of the cloth, giving the artwork life. Hence, in the artworks, the coast only acts as a stanza while the real subject matter is the cloth, as I think the different effects like shapes, forms, shades and draperies of the cloth is what the viewers are truly interested in and not the stanza underneath it.
I think the purpose of creating such a monumental work is to leave a deeper impression on viewers than normal conventional artworks that can lasts forever. As this artwork was only kept for ten weeks before its wrapping was removed it made this artwork more precious when it was still there. People usually only learn to treasure things when they are gone or about to be gone. Hence, i personally feel that they may also want people to treasure what they see as it will disappear soon after and what are left will only be photographs and memories. Also, while being monumental, it is also site-specific and thus forces viewers to go to the actually site and “interact” with the artwork as they try to view it from different angles. While it is monumental, it is also large-scaled, which made the artwork more impactful and memorable.
Other works of Christo and Jeanne-Claude:
They have done many other artworks like the umbrellas idea and surrounded island. However, the artwork I like most is the wrapping of trees and I personally love this photo the most! The way light is captured in the photograph makes the picture magical as it is no longer just plain cloth wrapping an object anymore. LOVE THIS!!
My own inspired art work: (cling wrap wrapping calender and scissors)
Proposal to wrap a sculpture in Singapore:
If I had to propose to wrap a sculpture in Singapore, I would choose to wrap the Esplanade with bubble wrap. This is because the esplanade has a very edgy surface made with glass and metal. Its structure resembles a durian too, and I think it would be interesting to put the bubble wrap over such edgy surface as bubble wrap consists of numerous curves and circles. Hence, the juxtaposition of bubble wrap and Esplanade would mean incorporating lines and shapes edges with curves and fluidity. Also, bubble wraps are light and flows with the wind, when it drapes at the side of the esplanade, it would also produce a sense of fluidity just like the cloth Christo and Jeanne Claude used.
Esplanade is also a very significant place in Singapore. Hence, wrapping that would attract many people’s attention, like how Christo and Jeanne Claude did when they wrapped the famous buildings and Roman Wall. In fact, Esplanade is also a place for performances and exhibitions, so I think it would also be an appropriate place to present this artwork of wrapping the Esplanade.
I am Xinge :) I draw people and places! 