Renowned artist Christo visit scheduled for Sept. 18

The celebrated artist Christo, whose acclaim in the world of environmental art looms as large as his world-renowned installations, will appear at SUNY Fredonia in September as a guest of the college’s Department of Visual Arts and New Media, as part of its Visiting Artist Program and the campus' Inauguration Week festivities. 

“This is a rare opportunity to bring one of the most internationally renowned visual artists to our campus,” said SUNY Fredonia Distinguished Professor of Visual Arts and New Media Alberto Rey. “Each one of his projects receives a tremendous amount of international recognition in the media and the art world. His work also has changed the way many people look at the idea of ‘art’.”

Christo will deliver a lecture/slide presentation Tuesday, Sept. 18, at 7 p.m. in King Concert Hall. The event is free and open to the public, but tickets will be required for admission. 

Tickets will be available after the beginning of the fall semester at the SUNY Fredonia Ticket Office, which is soon to be relocated back to the Williams Center from its temporary location in the modular units in the Dods Hall parking lot. Tickets may also be ordered by phone at 716-673-3501 (a $2 per order processing fee will apply). The general public is limited to four tickets per order. Ticket Office hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m.

Christo’s two-day visit has been made possible by a generous gift from Cathy Marion (’79), director of the Marion Foundation and a member of the Fredonia College Foundation, and her husband, Jesse Marion, president of Marion Investments. The couple, whose previous generosity to campus is reflected in the recently renovated Marion Art Gallery in the Rockefeller Arts Center, is thrilled to be able to bring such a globally celebrated artist to SUNY Fredonia.

Born in Bulgaria in 1935, Christo studied in Sofia and in Vienna and was a portrait artist in Paris, where he met his future wife and collaborator, Jeanne-Claude. In 1964, they relocated to New York City. His earliest sculptures were made of bottles and cans that were sometimes wrapped in paper, plastic or fabric.

Working together with Jeanne-Claude (who passed away in 2009), Christo made his mark in the world of art by creating controversial outdoor sculptures often using fabric that forced observers to confront questions regarding the nature of art.

Their early collaborative works included: “Dockside Packages” (1961, Cologne); “Iron Curtain – Wall of Oil Drums” (1962, Paris); and “Corridor Store Front” (1968, New York City). Their installations grew substantially with a suspended 42,390 cubic foot air package in Minneapolis and wrapped buildings in Chicago and Switzerland. These were followed by even larger projects, such as “Valley Curtain” (1972, Colorado); “Running Fence” (1976, Marin and Sonoma counties in California) and “Surrounded Islands” (1983, Biscayne Bay, Fla.).

The couple wrapped the Pont Neuf Bridge in Paris with beige cloth in 1985. In Japan, 1,340 giant blue umbrellas were installed across the Sato River Valley and 1,760 giant yellow ones were placed in Tejon Pass, Calif. 

In just 16 days, more than 4 million people saw “The Gates,” a 23-mile-long installation comprised of 7,503 vinyl gates with free-flowing saffron-colored cloth panels in New York’s Central Park in 2005.

Each project was a major undertaking, consisting of detailed planning and construction phases, permits and environmental impact documentation and required hundreds of workers to install and remove. Installation sites were restored to their original condition and materials recycled after the art work was taken down.

Though short-lived – lasting anywhere from eight hours to six months – Christo’s and Jeanne-Claude’s outdoor sculptures have been seen by people of all walks of life, including people who don’t routinely visit museums.

A direct SUNY Fredonia connection to Christo facilitated the artist’s campus visit. “Having a faculty member on staff (Alberto Rey) who had worked on a couple of Christo’s projects gave us a window of opportunity to approach him. He was immediately receptive to the idea," said Visual Arts and New Media Chair and SUNY Fredonia Distinguished Teaching Professor Bob Booth. "I’m sure it would have been more difficult without Alberto’s connection.”

One of Christo’s upcoming projects is “Over the River,” featuring nearly six miles of silver-color fabric panels draped in sections over of a 42-mile stretch of the Arkansas River in Colorado’s Bighorn Canyon. Exhibition is anticipated in August 2015, following a 28-month installation.

“To truly appreciate the scale of their work — which is regularly many miles long — one should try to experience it in person,” said Rey, who worked on “Surrounded Island” and “Umbrellas,” both personal favorites, though “Over the River” could eclipse those two, Rey added.

Mrs. Marion said she and her husband had the opportunity to view the breathtaking installation of “The Gates” in Central Park a few years ago and were awed by the bold scale of their work.

“We hope that the students and everyone who attends his lecture are inspired by the passion and genius of this man who has dedicated his life to the pursuit of his art,” Mrs. Marion said.

Rey echoed Mrs. Marion’s appreciation of the impact which Christo’s and Jeanne-Claude’s works have on people.

“I can tell you that each of the works that I have experienced has moved me deeply and has affected me more than any work I have ever seen in any museum or other exhibition site. These are once-in-a-lifetime types of experiences,” Rey said.