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Christo and Jeanne-Claude Contemporary Art

Bulgarian, Moroccan, American, 1935-2020

Motivated solely by a mission to spread joy and celebrate beauty through their work, Christo and Jeanne-Claude (1935–2020; 1935–2009) created riveting large-scale public art installations that pushed ephemeral art to an entirely unprecedented new level. While the pair created prints, photography and a range of other types of art, they’re best known for their installations — working with a combination of textiles and industrial materials, Christo and Jeanne-Claude created colossal site-specific sculptures and other projects that frequently included wrapping monuments, walkways and even coastlines in reams of fabric in order to draw attention and encourage viewers to experience familiar objects and places in entirely new ways. 

Christo and Jeanne-Claude frequently incorporated nature’s forces into their works, creating billowing fence lines, enormous inflatable free-standing structures and colorful floating walkways. Partners in life and art, the pair designed installations that often took years or even decades to realize and lasted for only days or weeks. Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s preparatory works and detailed drawings and collages are today a testament to their intricate ephemeral masterpieces and legacy.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s stories, incredibly, began on the exact same day — on June 13, 1935, Christo Vladimirov Javacheff was born in Gabrovo, Bulgaria, and on the very same day in Casablanca, Morocco, Jeanne-Claude Denat de Guillebon was born. While Jeanne-Claude received a broad education and a baccalauréat in Latin and philosophy, growing up in France, Switzerland, Morocco and Tunisia, Christo studied art from the age of six years old. He went on to study painting, drawing, architecture and sculpture at the National Academy of Art in Sofia before leaving Bulgaria to escape the Hungarian Revolution. 

Christo spent time in Prague before a brief stint at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts, moving on then to Geneva and ultimately France. He made money by painting portraits for wealthy families. After being hired by Jeanne-Claude’s mother to paint three portraits of her, Christo met his future wife and collaborator. The pair created their first environmental installation, Dockside Packages and Stacked Oil Barrels, in 1961. 

Together, Christo and Jeanne-Claude pursued increasingly ambitious projects, proposing to wrap everything from trees in Wrapped Trees, Foundation Beyeler and Berower Park, Riehen, Switzerland, 1997-98 to important public buildings including the Wrapped Reichstag, Berlin, 1971–95. They also created free-standing abstract sculptures such as the 5,600 Cubicmeter Package, billowing curtains such as Valley Curtain, Rifle, Colorado, 1970–72, and proposed installations in locations as far-flung as Dubai and Japan. These projects and others have been linked to the Pop art-adjacent nouveau réalisme movement.

Classically trained in drawing, Christo created preparatory sketches and collages for the projects, selling his artwork to independently fund the monumental temporary installations the pair erected. Meanwhile, Jeanne-Claude advocated for the pair’s artwork, speaking at public forums, sending proposals to municipal governments, and using her unique combination of compelling charm and stoic stubbornness to get their projects approved. 

Devoted to their ideals of spreading joy and beauty, the pair accepted no commissions or commercial collaborations — all their installations were funded purely by the sale of their preparatory art. The last of their realized urban works, that 2005 project invited New Yorkers to go for a glorious walk through 7,503 saffron-fabric-draped portals along the pathways of Central Park. More than 4 million people did.

Christo’s wrapped sculptures, which he began making early in his career, as well as his preparatory works, are held in the permanent collections of museums and other institutions including the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Gallery of Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Centre Pompidou. Jeanne-Claude died in 2009, and Christo continued to realize the pair’s planned projects until his own passing in 2020. 

Find original Christo and Jeanne-Claude photography, mixed media works, sculptures and prints on 1stDibs.

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Creator: Christo and Jeanne-Claude
Christo Javacheff Print of L'Arc de Triomphe Wrapped Project Signed 2019
By Christo and Jeanne-Claude
Located in Sofia, BG
Print of L'Arc de Triomphe wrapped project signed by the artist Christo Javacheff . Sheet: 45 x 35 cm USA 2019.
Category

2010s American Christo and Jeanne-Claude Contemporary Art

Materials

Paper

Christo Javacheff Print of L'Arc de Triomphe Wrapped Project Signed 2020
By Christo and Jeanne-Claude
Located in Sofia, BG
Print of L'Arc de Triomphe wrapped project signed by the artist Christo Javacheff . Sheet: 62 x 71 cm USA 2019.
Category

2010s American Christo and Jeanne-Claude Contemporary Art

Materials

Paper

Gates-Project for Central Park, Lithography by Christo , New York, 2004
By Christo and Jeanne-Claude
Located in Madrid, ES
Contemporary lithography in colors from the Project for Central Park, New York City, created in 2004 by Christo and Jeanne-Claude. The print is framed in a white wooden frame with a ...
Category

Early 2000s American Post-Modern Christo and Jeanne-Claude Contemporary Art

Materials

Glass, Wood, Paper

The Mastaba by Christo Javacheff Project for United Arab Emirates Collage 1979
By Christo and Jeanne-Claude
Located in Sofia, BG
The Mastaba (Project for United Arab Emirates) by Christo Yavachev (1935 - 2020) Pencil and wax crayon Measures: 80 cm x 59 cm (31 x 23 1/4 inches) Signed and dated Christo 1979 E...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Christo and Jeanne-Claude Contemporary Art

Materials

Paper

Christo Lithograph-Collage Wrapped Fountain
By Christo and Jeanne-Claude
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Christo lithograph-collage Lithograph-collage (Architectural drawings by Pere Casajoana Architect) Wrapped fountain 2009 Measures: 56.0 x 71....
Category

Early 2000s Spanish Modern Christo and Jeanne-Claude Contemporary Art

Materials

Paper

Christo, Texas Mastra Project for 500, 000 Stacked Oil Drums, Signed Lithograph
By Christo and Jeanne-Claude
Located in St. Louis, MO
Christo (1935-2020) Bulgarian. The TEXAS MASTABA, PROJECT FOR 500,000 STACKED OIL DRUMS (S. 85), 1976, color lithograph & screenprint collage on 1/8” brown board, signed and numbered...
Category

1970s American Modern Vintage Christo and Jeanne-Claude Contemporary Art

Materials

Acrylic, Paper

Christo and Jeanne-Claude and Christo Signed in Christo in Crayon Lithograph
By Christo and Jeanne-Claude
Located in Chicago, IL
Christo and Jeanne-Claude and Christo Signed in Christo in Crayon Lithograph: This work shows conceptual project; over the river is a two-week temporary...
Category

1990s North American Organic Modern Christo and Jeanne-Claude Contemporary Art

Materials

Paper

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Christo Lithograph-Collage Wrapped Woman, 1996
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Christo Lithograph-Collage Wrapped Woman, 1996
Christo Lithograph-Collage Wrapped Woman, 1996
H 21.86 in W 27.96 in D 0.12 in
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Christo Javacheff Print of L'Arc de Triomphe Wrapped Project Signed 2020
By Christo and Jeanne-Claude
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Christo Javacheff Wrapped Sylvette Lithograph Collage Signed Numbered
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Wrapped Sylvette, Project for Washington Square Village, New York, from: Hommage à Picasso Lithograph signed in pencil and numbered 162/300. Sheet: 64 x 48,5 cm USA 1972.
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Mid-20th Century American Christo and Jeanne-Claude Contemporary Art

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Jeanne-Claude and Christo "The Umbrellas" Lithographs Pencil Signed 1991
By Christo and Jeanne-Claude
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Christo "the Gates", NYC
Christo "the Gates", NYC
H 42.5 in W 34 in D 1.25 in

Christo And Jeanne-claude contemporary art for sale on 1stDibs.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude contemporary art are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of paper and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Christo and Jeanne-Claude contemporary art, although gray editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original contemporary art by Christo and Jeanne-Claude were created in the modern style in north america during the 21st century and contemporary. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider contemporary art by Mauro Oliveira, Rick Orr, and Alexander Hecht. Prices for Christo and Jeanne-Claude contemporary art can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $943 and can go as high as $355,804, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $4,600.
Questions About Christo and Jeanne-Claude Contemporary Art
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Christo and Jeanne-Claude wrapped things as a way of creating art. They took everyday objects and bound them in order to take away their functionality. In addition, they sought to preserve the items, similarly to the way the Ancient Egyptians did mummies. You'll find a variety of Christo and Jeanne-Claude art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Christo and Jeanne-Claude, best known for their L’Arc de Triomphe, wrapped art piece in Paris, used recyclable polypropylene fabric for the wrapping. For other displays of art, Christo and Jeanne-Claude have used a variety of fabrics, including nylon. Shop a variety of Christo and Jeanne-Claude artwork from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.

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