Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Wrapped Trees, Basel 1997-1998
Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Wrapped Trees - Artist's Edition
Fondation Beyeler and Berower Park, Riehen, Basel, Switzerland, 1997-1998
Limited edition of 1,000 copies worldwide, each numbered and signed by Christo, Jeanne-Claude and Wolfgang Volz with an original cibachrome and a piece of the original fabric.
In Autumn 1998, after the trees around Fondation Beyeler and in the Berower Park had shed their leaves, Christo and Jeanne-Claude wrapped 162 trees—some up to 25 meters high—with 55,000 m2 of polyester fabric and 23.1 km of rope. For wrapping they used the type of veil that is traditionally used in japan to protect trees against the winter snow and frost. The effect of the wind on the translucent fabric and the rope created and ever-changing variety of shapes, surfaces, and colors.
Many years of research had gone into reaching this stage, at which point Christo and Jeanne-Claude had worked on trees for over 30 years. In 1966, they wrapped a 10-meter high tree in a personal exhibition in the Stedelijk van Abbe Museum in Eindhoven. In the same year they worked on a wrapped trees project for Forest Park in Saint Louis, Missouri, and in 1968 for the Museum of Modern Art In New York. In 1969 "Two Wrapped Trees" were exhibited in Sydney. In the same year an ambitious project to wrap 330 trees along the Champs Elysées failed to gain authorisation from the Prefect of Paris. This project in the park of the Fondation Beyeler in Riehen, Basel, Switzerland (until January 24, 1999) was thus the largest "Wrapped Trees" to be realized at that time. This volume traces the conception to the realization via preparatory drawings, collages, and plans as well as photographs of the Wrapped Trees.
About the artist:
Christo and Jeanne-Claude, both born on June 13, 1935, have been working in collaboration since 1961. They have lived in New York City since 1964. Their large-scale projects include Wrapped Coast, Australia, 1968–69, Valley Curtain, Grand Hogback, Rifle, Colorado, 1970–72, Running Fence, Sonoma and Marin Counties, California, 1972–76, Surrounded Islands, Biscayne Bay, Greater Miami, Florida, 1980–83, The Pont Neuf Wrapped, Paris, 1975–85, The Umbrellas, Japan–USA, 1984–91, Wrapped Reichstag, Berlin, 1971–95, Wrapped Trees, Riehen, Switzerland, 1997–98, The Gates, Central Park, New York City, 1979-2005.
About the photographer:
Wolfgang Volz has been working with Christo and Jeanne-Claude since 1971 and was project director (with Roland Specker) for Wrapped Reichstag and (with Josy Kraft) for Wrapped Trees and he was in charge of The Wall, 13,000 Oil Barrels, 1999. He is the exclusive photographer of Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s works. This close collaboration has resulted in many books and more than 300 exhibitions in museums and galleries around the world. Wolfgang Volz and his wife and partner, Sylvia Volz, live and work in Düsseldorf, Germany.
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Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Wrapped Trees, Basel 1997-1998
Hardcover 9.3 x 11.8 in., 136 pages, $ 500.00
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- See also (7 items)
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Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Wrapped Reichstag, Berlin, 1971-1995 Limited edition of 5,000 copies worldwide, clothbound in a slipcase, each signed and numbered by Christo, Jeanne-Claude and Wolfgang Volz and coming with a piece of the original material used in the wrapping. |
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Christo & Jeanne-Claude. The Gates - Collector's Edition Limited edition of 5,000 copies worldwide, each signed and numbered by the artists, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, as well as their exclusive photographer Wolfgang Volz |
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Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Over The River This exhibition catalog gives a detailed exploration of 16 years of preparation to assemble and suspend massive silvery fabric panels over the Arkansas River in Colorado, scheduled for 2012 |