Christo and Jean Claude

I have chosen to look at the work of Christo and Jean Claude for my artists. I decided to look at them and their artwork because I felt it not only fufilled the criteria of my investigation (being about different ways of looking at art) but also related to my work too. Their work like my own is both temporary and enviromental art which tends to be viewed outdoor rather than in a gallery in both urban and rural. Their work also is similiar to my own in that they introduce an art piece which is unfamiliar to the enviroment they are working in, rather than using and rearranging pieces of an enviroment. Christo and Jean Claudes work is however on a huge scale, which I am yet to use!

I feel the work relates to the theme of alternative art viewing since the work does not appear in a gallery and the atrists encourage the work to been seen outside of the gallery first hand, rather than through photographs.

They do "not sell photographs, we have no royalties on books, posters, postcards." Jean Claude.

This means their art has a unique quality. This is that they are temporary and don't last forever, being passed from one gallery to the next. Christo and Jean Claude describe this quality like a rainbow which is especially beautiful and exciting because it very quickly fades to nothing.

They say that "The fact the work does not remain creates an urgency to see it."

I think this is true. Because it isn't always there it is exciting. Its a bit like a passing circus. It would be dull if it was perminent because you would get used to it and the acts and never quite get round to going. Since it is only there a week, the excitment of the time limit and the intrigue created by the hype which has been made weeks before its arrival forces you to go. Christo and Jean Claude's temporary work has the same effect. Its short and wow and exciting and the run up to the art being made makes it new and controversial. It encourages people to go see it.