Author Description

The monumental but temporary interventions of Christo and Jeanne-Claude, now beloved by millions across the world, began in a very different era, in late-1950s Paris, amid the antics of Yves Klein and the assemblage art of the Nouveaux Réalistes. Composed in close co-operation with Christo and Jeanne-Claude, just prior to Jeanne-Claude's death in November 2009, Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Early Works 1958-64, is the first publication in almost 40 years to deal in depth with the early work of the duo. Previously unpublished works and photographs from the artists' archives narrate the road from Christo's arrival in Paris (from his native Bulgaria) in 1958 to his and Jeanne-Claude's relocation to New York in 1964. Along with an introductory text by Matthias Koddenberg, art historian and longstanding friend of Christo and Jeanne-Claude, the book contains an extensive interview with the artists and a detailed chronology for the years 1935 to 1964.