Inspirational Artists: Christo and Jeanne-Claude

You may recognize the enduring works of Christo and Jeanne-Claude. Their signature use of textile, and their audacious sense of color and scale. The married couple pioneered the concept of “environmental art.” They have insisted that their work had no meaning beyond giving aesthetic pleasure.

The pair came from diverse origins, yet remained inseparable for their entire married life. Christo was born in Bulgaria, while Jeanne-Claude grew up in a French military family stationed in Morocco. The two met while he was a political refugee living in Paris. Also, he was commissioned to paint a portrait of Jeanne Claude’s mother.

The pair were true flaneurs in every sense of the word. They spent their lives travelling the world, creating impactful art in Miami, Italy, New York, Paris, Japan, and many other exciting locales.

Yet for all their scale, all of Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s work has been temporary. Reflecting on his career, Christo once said: “I think it takes much more courage to create things to be gone than to create things to remain.”