How do Christo and Jeanne-Claude choose the sites for their rural and/or urban works of art?

How can I work on one of the projects?

How can I send Christo and Jeanne-Claude a proposal for a new piece of art?

Who is Jeanne-Claude?

Who pays for the artworks?

Why don't they accept licensing deals and use that money on the installation of the artwork?

Why are their works so big? What's the point?

Why wrapping?

Where can I buy posters of works by Christo and Jeanne-Claude?

Where can I get the films (videos) of the artworks?

What is the reason for the web site?

May we link to this site?

How do I reach Christo and Jeanne-Claude?

How do you find inspiration and get past creative blocks?

Who is Jeanne-Claude?

Christo and Jeanne-Claude have created art together as partners for more than 4 decades. They are married and have a son, Cyril, born in 1960, who is a published poet and writer.

Cyril Christo's latest work is a collaboration with his wife, Marie Wilkinson, a collection of photographs and writing entitled Lost Africa, The Eyes of Origins, published by Assouline.

Further details of Christo and Jeanne-Claude's life together are available in the biography on this web site and in the book Christo and Jeanne-Claude by Burt Chernow, epilogue by Wolfgang Volz - St. Martin's Press, New York.

You can also read the on-line interview on this site. It discusses their collaborative relationship in depth.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude conceive of the projects together. Then Christo makes drawings, scale-models and other preparatory art of the artwork. Christo and Jeanne-Claude sell directly to art collectors, museums and art dealers.

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How are sites choosen, urban and/or rural?

How Christo and Jeanne-Claude choose the sites for their rural and/or urban works of art ?

There are two different ways.

Urban and Rural

If the work is urban: The Pont Neuf in Paris, The Reichstag in Berlin or Central Park in New York City, they do not have to search for those sites, they know where they are.

If the work is rural, they must go out and find the most suitable site.

The idea exist only on paper, with some preparatory works showing an imaginary landscape and schematic drawings, then they must drive thousands of kilometers in Japan and in California to find the ideal two inland valleys, for the ONE work in 2 parts The Umbrellas, Japan-USA 1984-91.

Or:
The idea exists only on paper, with some preparatory works showing an imaginary landscape and schematic drawings, then they must drive thousands of kilometers in the Rocky Mountains, in 5 States, inspecting 89 rivers to find the perfect river for Over The River, Project for The Arkansas River, State of Colorado. etc..

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Who pays for the installations?

Christo and Jeanne-Claude pay the entire cost of the artworks themselves. They earn all of the money through the sale of the preparatory studies, early works from the 50s and 60s and original lithographs on other subjects.

They do not accept grants or sponsorships of any kind. They do not accept donated labor (volunteer help). They do not accept money for things like posters, postcards, books, films, T-shirt and mugs or any other products at all. None.

Art collectors who are interested in acquiring original preparatory works of art may contact Jok e-mail. Christo and Jeanne-Claude act as their own art dealers and present original preparatory work to collectors in their studio, by appointment.

All monies for projects come from these art sales.

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Why don't they accept licensing deals and use that money on the installation?

Christo and Jeanne-Claude firmly believe that to accept deals of this kind would alter and compromise their art.

Refusing this money assures them they are working in total freedom and in total work respect for their aesthetic.

It helps keep their art pure.

In my own work as a cartoonist the pressure of licensing can sometimes make me think of my art as a way to sell a nice mug or calendar. That is a major distraction that Christo and Jeanne-Claude have avoided by refusing all such offers.

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How can I work on one of the projects?

The jobs link is currently not available.  Please check this site periodically. When we begin hiring for Over The River, employee information will be posted here.

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Why are their works so big. What's the point?

Christo and Jeanne-Claude's works are entire environments, whether they are urban or rural. The artists temporarily use one part of the environment. In doing so, we see and perceive the whole environment with new eyes and a new consciousness.

The effect is astounding. To be in the presence of one of these artworks is to have your reality rocked. You see things you have never seen before. You also get to see the fabric manifest things that cannot usually be seen, like the wind blowing, or the sun reflecting in ways it had not before.

The effect lasts longer than the actual work of art. Years after every physical trace has been removed and the materials recycled, original visitors can still see and feel them in their minds when they return to the sites of the artworks.

There is no other way to describe that the feeling of that effect other than to say it is magical.

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Why wrapping?

Christo and Jeanne-Claude have done very few wrappings in comparison to their whole portfolio of artworks. Please notice how few of the works are wrappings, when you visit the index of Christo and Jeanne-Claude's photo collection.

It is easier for some to grasp the wrapping concept and refer to their artworks entirely as "wrapping", but the work is more about altering an environment than wrapping -- which is only one way to to that.

The last time an idea for a wrapping came out of their heads and hearts was in 1975, when they had the idea of wrapping the Pont Neuf in Paris, and then it took them ten years to get the permits.

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How can I send Christo and Jeanne-Claude a proposal for a new piece of art?

You cannot. Christo and Jeanne-Claude have never accepted a proposal for a work of art. They feel strongly that to do so would make the project someone else's art.

People with a really good idea have difficulty accepting this decision. But Christo and Jeanne-Claude say the one way to make sure a specific project does not happen is to propose it to them.

The choice of what to do is central to any artist's work. If Christo and Jeanne-Claude accepted proposals or commissions, they would soon become contractors and not creative artists.

We suggest to all those with your own proposals for environmental art, that you just go out and create it. Christo and Jeanne-Claude always start at the same place in which you are probably now, with zero monies for the project. And money is the first thing that stops most people with a good idea for a work of art.

But it is not about money. It is more about the passion necessary to go earn it and then spend it on the artwork. Christo and Jeanne-Claude earn the money by selling Christo's preparatory drawings and collages as well as early works from the fifties and sixties.

They will not accept grants, or money for books and movies. The money for the project comes only from the sale of preparatory art of that project. That is a huge part of their esthetic. How they make the money for an artwork is part of the art. And there is no money back, much like bringing up a child in that the rewards are not tangible.

One needs to come up with an idea like that, and follow it through. And, yes, I know that is quite a bit and I know it means many sacrifices.

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What is the reason for the web site?

Christo and Jeanne-Claude asked me to post their works as a way to educate people about their art. I do it for the simple reason that I enjoy sharing it with you. It is a very important part of my life and sharing it with the on-line world is a joyful thing. Christo and Jeanne-Claude read and approve all text, and pay for the file serving expenses of the Web site.

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May we link to this site?

Of course. Any web site on the Internet can link to any other. We do appreciate the sentiment of people asking, but permission is not required. In fact, we'd be honored by your link to http://christojeanneclaude.net

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How do I reach Christo and Jeanne-Claude?

E-mail me and I will work to answer your question. Christo and Jeanne-Claude do not use E-mail. Period. The call for autographs is difficult as the artists would ony be signing their names and not creating wonderful works of art if they responded as you, gentle webBrowser, wish they would respond.

Please keep in mind that all of us work long and hard days. Christo and Jeanne-Claude work at least 17 hours every single day. I mention this because you may not always get a reply.

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Where can I get the films (videos) of the artworks?

Many people have written to ask about the films and videotapes that document Christo and Jeanne-Claude's art.

The artists do not participate in the films' marketing and do not share in any financial gain from the selling of these films. Not any. That said, we'd like to make this information available for those of you who would like the films for home or classroom use. We cannot make these inquiries for you. Please contact the producers of the films directly.

1969 Wrapped Coast
Blackwood Productions, 30 minutes

1972 Christo's Valley Curtain
Maysles Brothers and Ellen Giffard, 28 minutes.
Academy Award Nominee-1973

1977 Running Fence
Maysles Brothers / Charlotte Zwerin, 58 minutes

1978 Wrapped Walkways
Blackwood Productions, 25 minutes

1985 Islands
Maysles Brothers / Charlotte Zwerin, 57 minutes

1990 Christo In Paris (The Pont Nuef Wrapped 1975-85)
David and Albert Maysles, Deborah Dickson, Susan Froemke, 58 minutes

1996 Umbrellas
Albert Maysles, Henry Corra and Graham Weinbren, 81 minutes
Grand Prize and People Choice Award at the Montreal Film Festival 1996

1996 Christo und Jeanne-Claude, "Dem Deutsche Volke",
Verhüllter Reichstag 1971-95 (Wrapped Reichstag)
Wolfram and Jörg Daniel Hissen, EstWest, 110 minutes

1998 Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Wrapped Trees
Gebrüder Hissen, EstWest, 25 minutes

2007 The Gates, a film by Antonio Ferrera, Albert Maysles, David Maysles and
Matthiew Prinzing. 97 minutes.

2008 "Along US 50" Gebrüder Hissen, EstWest. 64 minutes.

To acquire films/videos, please contact the filmmakers directly:

Blackwood Productions
251 West 57thStreet
New York NY 10019 USA
212 247-4710

Maysles Films, Inc.
343 Lenox Avenue
New York NY 10027 USA
212 582-6050

For DVDs of Maysles Films, contact:
Plexifilm
45 Main Street, Suite 504
Brooklyn, NY 11201
718-643-7300

EstWest Film and Video Productions
Wolfram and Jörg Daniel Hissen
14450 Saint Pierre du Mont
France
Tel: # 33-231519647
Fax: # 33-231519947
estwesthissen@mail.cpod.fr

Note: The artists derive no income from the sale of the books, films or videos

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Where can I buy posters or lithos of works by Christo and Jeanne-Claude?

Many people would like to buy large photos of the completed artworks or posters of preparatory works. In keeping with Christo and Jeanne-Claude's policy of not earning money in this way, no funds from any of these purchases go to Christo and Jeanne-Claude.

Hand-signed prints are now available from the not-for-profit, Nurture New York's Nature (associated with the Carriage House Center for Global Issues Foundation). Christo and Jeanne-Claude do not receive payment of any kind from these sales.

All proceeds benefit New York's nature and arts. Christo and Jeanne-Claude offer the prints to Nurture New York's Nature as one of their donations to New York City. To purchase, please visit Nurture New York's Nature art prints web-site: www.40yearsofpublicart.org

Christo and Jeanne-Claude do not sell lithographs, they sell only one-of-a-kind originals.

To purchase directly from the publishers, lithographs, hand-collaged lithographs, objects editions by Christo and signed original photographs by Christo and Jeanne-Claude, please contact these publishers.

LANDFALL PRESS INC.
1589 San Mateo Lane
Santa Fe, NM 87505 USA
Telephone: 1-505-982 6625 Fax: 1-505-982 6725
Website: www.landfallpress.com

- or -

Mr. Jörg Schellmann
EDITIONS SCHELLMANN
210 11th Avenue
New York, N.Y. 10010 USA
Telephone: 212 219-1821. Fax: 212 941-9206
Website: editionschellmann.com

- or -

EDITION SCHELLMANN, GmbH
Ainmillerstrasse 25
MÙNCHEN 80801
GERMANY
Telephone: 49 - 89 - 3866 6080 Fax: 49 - 89 - 332 800
edition-schellmann@t-online.de
Website: www.editionschellmann.com

- or -

Mr. Joan de Muga
EDICIONES POLIGRAFA, S.A.
Balmes 54 BARCELONA 08007 SPAIN
Telephone: 34 -93 - 488-2381 Fax: 34 -93 -487 7392

- or -

Mr. Michael Domberger
DOMBERGER GMBH + CO.
Uhlbergstrasse 36-40 70794 FILDERSTADT GERMANY
Telephone: 49-711-771 077/40 Fax: 49-711-777 5870

- or -

Ms. Lara Colorado McEvoy ARTE Y NATURALEZA
Telephone / fax: 1 - 212 - 926 2763

- or -

For posters:
Schumacher / Fils GmbH
www.der-kunstverlag.de
phone. 49-211-672 063

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How do Christo and Jeanne-Claude find inspiration and get past creative blocks?

All of Christo and Jeanne-Claude's projects come from ideas from their two hearts, and two brains, (The artists never create works that come from other people's ideas. Never.)

Christo and Jeanne-Claude have completed 20 projects and 39 projects have not succeeded. The artists could not get permission to create those 39 projects, and the artists lost interest.

Those 39 failed works are in addition to the 20 Christo and Jeanne-Claude have completed. This means: 39 ideas they did not complete. After receiving refusals, the artists lost interest.

Since Christo and Jeanne-Claude create works for themselves (as all true artists do), once an idea is no longer in their hearts, there is no reason to do it.

Many of the artist's 18 completed projects have been refused, more than once each, but they persisted because it was still in Christo and Jeanne-Claude's hearts.

Some projects took many years of refusals until the artists could complete the project:

• 32 years for Wrapped Trees 1966-98.

• 26 years for The Gates 1971-2005.

• 25 years for the Wrapped Reichstag 1971-95.

• 10 years for The Pont Neuf Wrapped 1975-85.

• 5 years for Running Fence 1972-76, etc.

When could they ever find the time to have had a creative block?

If there are other questions for the FAQ file, please send them to us in E-mail with the subject line filled out: "FAQ".

Texts from this website may be used.

Some Artworks • Artworks in Progress • Collections • Bibliography • The Artists • FAQ • Contact