6 documentaries about the work of Christo & Jeanne-Claude (1987-2003)
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Deborah Dickson - Christo in Paris (1990) / Karagarga / Demonoid
It took Christo & Jeanne-Claude ten years to get permission from the Parisian government to to wrap the famous Pont Neuf in Paris, France.
Albert Maysles, David Maysles & Charlotte Zwerin - Running Fence (1978) / Karagarga / Demonoid
This video documents the creation of a 24-mile silk fence which runs through Marin and Sonoma countryside to the (and into the) sea, that Christo erected in the '70s. Much of the 58-minute running time it taken up by his local fights to get permits and permission to run through ranches, over roads, and into the beach property.
Ellen Giffard, Albert Maysles & David Maysles - Christo's Valley Curtain (1974) / Karagarga / Demonoid
Short and to-the-point documentary covering Christo's first large public work - the bright neon-orange valley curtain in Colorado, which spanned the gulf between two small mountains.
Henry Corra, Albert Maysles & Grahame Weinbren - Umbrellas (1994) / Karagarga / Demonoid
1760 umbrellas were put up by Christo & Jeanne-Claude close to Interstate 5 near Gorman in California in Oct 1991 (for only 3 weeks).
Albert Maysles - Islands (1987) / Karagarga / Demonoid
Using 6.5 million square feet of floating pink fabric, Christo and Jeanne-Claude encircled eleven islands in Miami's Biscayne Bay, extending the perimeter of each island by 200 feet. An elaborate undertaking that involved legions of contractors, engineers, attorneys, and seamstresses, Surrounded Islands also required extensive consultation with marine biologists and ornithologists. Ultimately, the project benefited its surroundings: Christo and Jeanne-Claude's crew removed forty tons of garbage from the uninhabited islands.
Evoking hibiscus flowers and flamingos, the vibrant woven polypropylene fabric was sewn to correspond to the contours of each island. As the unfurling began on 4 May 1983, the islands themselves seemed to bloom. The artists and their crew of 430 surrounded the last island three days later. Remaining on view for two weeks, the work was visible to the public from the causeways, the land, the water, and the air.
at 1:43 PM