Today I attended a talk from a person that I had heard about. What I had heard is he does something with art and fabrics. This is indeed world famous Christo who has designed incredible pieces with his late wife Jeanne-Claude. He is an energetic artist in his seventies who seems to have another 70 ideas in mind. All “fabricated” ideas.
Christo is back in Abu Dhabi after years and years of negotiations for a project with barrels called Mastaba. To look at the progress of the idea:
http://www.christojeanneclaude.net/prog_mastaba.shtml
The first drawings for this project were done in 1977, permission to go ahead with the project was given just 2 months ago. I guess that is what over night success is all about, persistence and passion.
I had heard the expression blowing my mind.
Now I understand what this expression means.
It means hearing something real or witnessing something real that seems so extra ordinary
one’s mind is blown out of ones head. Draping bridges, rivers, islands buildings all with fabric.
Looking at the fabric from under the river to see how the river sees the world.
How does one find time to do such an enormous amount of projects.
It is one thing to imagine certain things, it is quite another thing to start projects and yet another thing to follow through and complete and then completely dismantle everything.
Wrapping trees with material to protect them from their own shadow but not from their own shade. Chirsto says that it is during sunset that the real beauty of a protected tree can be seen.
When asked further question by students he carefully and gently replies:
How long do they last?
They are all temporary projects
Is there a social meaning behind your work?
The meanings of projects come from the projects themselves
The space carries the message
Why not just paint on canvas?
Canvas can be fabric can be marble, chicle and wood
The beauty of this art is that the intricacies are hidden
by the fabric but the principles shine through
This is static art.
Artist want people to think; sometimes with these projects
people are talking about an art that does not even exist
Work of art is not just the fabric, it is the combination of the fabric and nature
Bulgaria… since age five or six I wanted to be an artist
When asked by a student at American Community School, which of his works is his favorite
He replied please go ask your mother which of her kids is her favorite and he smiled
What is the most exciting piece…. the next one
This answer is my favorite, because it is full of hope and more hope and more hope
What is your definition on art
Art is Life
Life is Art
I wrote this short piece as reflection and gifted it to Christo, he was so gentle while listening to me recite:
The young man of 76 years speaks of his love
Yes, of art, but not once a breath is taken without Jeanne-Claude
From this talk, what I really take away is the beauty of true love and true partnership
I feel that the breath comes through art
Yes indeed art is not work but it is life itself
Today I learned what it means to drape the elegance of life with love
Art that will not last, it will not be here tomorrow.
Like this breath, the same breath will not return
Bahareh jan, I loved your refelection on Christo and his art. It is so wonderful to see how your understanding extends above and beyond. Your words are art. Your poetry is art. And you are a brillant soulful artist.
Dearest reader…. Dearest seer of Light and words describing art. Indeed his art still leaves me questioning but why. But as I overheard him say to a student. Artists create for themselves and hence his joy for life. I need to hear this at this time in my life. I write just to breathe and for no other reason. If my words touch a soulful being like you, then I have gone beyond.