Publisher's Synopsis
The complete life and work of Christo and Jeanne-Claude, in a book designed by Christo himself
"Nobody discusses a painting before it has been painted. Our projects are discussed and argued about, pro and con, before they are realized." -Christo
The work of the artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude transcends borders, resists categorizing, and embraces contradiction. This is the only large-format book that includes all of their projects, from their early wrappings of trees and buildings to spectacular urban events such as The Gates in Central Park, the Wrapped Reichstag in Berlin, and Running Fence in California, as well as the full spectrum of Christo's early art works that formed the basis for the ambitious large-scale projects that both artists produced together. Part biography, part critical analysis, part catalogue, the book has a lively text by the critic Paul Goldberger that traces both the lives and the works of an artist couple who established a category all their own: a category somewhere between conceptual art, urban planning, architecture, politics, engineering and art.
This volume gives a complete overview of the life and work of Christo and Jeanne-Claude, from earliest family photos to plans for future projects. It features hundreds of previously unpublished photographs, drawings and plans for realized works, an incisive and detailed history spanning the entire oeuvre, and in-depth interviews, in a lavish edition designed by Christo himself. In addition to a thorough photographic documentation of all of Christo and Jeanne-Claude's work, the book includes the transcript of a conversation between the artists and Paul Goldberger, the last conversation about her work that Jeanne-Claude had before her death in late 2009. Conceived originally to mark Christo and Jeanne-Claude's 75th birthdays, this book is now an eloquent memorial to Jeanne-Claude, and a celebration of the work of two artists whose imagination has affected the landscape of every continent.
Collector's Edition of 1,000 copies, numbered and signed by Christo.
