1. Sharon’s Notes on Christo
HUMA 101: Introduction to Humanities
Heartland Community College

2. In past semesters, students have often e-mailed me to ask such questions as:
What’s the deal with Christo?
I don’t understand his work at all…Is it even art?
What’s the point of any of his so-called ‘artworks’?
And here’s my reply…

3. Well, in many ways, Christo can be explained by thinking about ABBA.
(I’ve already confessed to being a huge ABBA fan. Embarrassing, I know.)

4. ABBA has always been noted for its bad costumes.
Their outfits were outrageous, even by the standards of the 1970’s disco era…(which is really saying something!)

5. In a 1994 interview, ABBA’s former costume designer, Owe Sundström, was asked, “Doesn’t it bother you that ABBA is remembered mostly for the hideous costumes that you designed?”
And Sundström answers, “Ah..but what’s important is that you remember !”

6. This is what’s important to Christo, as well
This is what’s important to Christo, as well. One of the most famous comments about Christo’s art was overheard at his first major work, the wrapping of the Pont-de-Neuf bridge in Paris:
“I don’t know if it’s art, and I don’t know if I like it, but I’ll never forget it!”

7. One of Christo’s goals is precisely this: to create something that the viewer won’t soon forget. You might see hundreds of pretty yet bland paintings of pictures, or photos of cute children—only to promptly forget them.
But Christo is just odd enough to remember.

8. In fact, I’d be willing to bet that years after this course is over, you’ll always recognize the name “Christo” when you hear it on the news.
And I’d also be willing to bet that, years from now, if you remember one artist that we studied, it will be “that weird guy that wrapped stuff.”

9. But Christo’s point isn’t just to be remembered himself.
It’s to create something bold enough for the average, non-art lover to remember.
That’s one reason that he builds such large-scale projects in public places—to reach the average passer-by, not just the museum-going population.

10. A second famous quote overheard at the wrapping of the Pont-de-Neuf was: “I don’t think I ever really noticed the bridge until I couldn’t see it.”
This is also part of Christo’s intention: to make us think about the beauty in our everyday surroundings that we may not take the time to appreciate.

11. We expect to see beautiful works of art in a museum
We expect to see beautiful works of art in a museum. But we don’t always notice the beauty in the objects and landscapes that surround us every day.
If you’ve ever had to make the same commute over and over, then you know that often we drive right by something without even “seeing” it, just because we’re so used to it being there.

12. So by wrapping large-scale items, or decorating miles of landscape, Christo is not only trying to call our attention to what’s hidden or decorated—but also to prompt us to look again when the wrapping or other materials are removed.

13. Yet a third comment overheard at the wrapping of the Pont-de-Neuf was: “Huh. Is that art? I don’t know…I never really thought about it.”
It’s easy for an artist to create a work for art lovers—sort of like “preaching to the choir.” But someone who really cares about art doesn’t want to appeal only to those who already think about art every day.

14. It can be much more rewarding to reach someone who isn’t a big fan of art.
In a way, it’s like being a teacher. I’m a teacher not for the glamour and high-pay (although there’s plenty of both, believe me)…but because I truly think one of the most important things I can do is introduce students to artists, authors, and concepts that they might not be exposed to otherwise. That’s what my teachers did for me.

15. Likewise, Christo wants to get people thinking about the issues of art—especially those who may not have had the opportunity to spend much time learning about or thinking about it.
After all, few of us have the leisure time to sit around all day pondering the philosophical complexities of defining and evaluating art.

16. But after seeing something by Christo, for a minute or two at least, you’re thinking not just about the wrapped bridge, but about art—what art is, what makes art good or bad, and why someone would want to wrap a bridge.
And you probably weren’t thinking about any of that the last time you walked by that bridge.

17. And since Christo’s work is so…different, and so questionable, chances are good that the average viewer will think about that wrapped bridge again some other time—and then will think again about the nature and definition of art, the artist’s intent, the role of the viewer in defining and evaluating art, and all those other things we talked about in Unit 2.

18. For anyone who values art—whether it’s an artist, a teacher, or just an art fan—the value of a work of art isn’t just in the artwork itself.
It’s also in how that artwork makes us think about art in general. And when we think about, we make a place for it in our lives—even if that place is a place of jokes and “What the exclamations.

19. So, for Christo, it’s not really important if you like his art.
It’s not even important that you consider it to be art.

20. What’s important is that you remember.

21. (and somehow, I’m certain that Christo is also an ABBA fan…)
The End
(and somehow, I’m certain that Christo is also an ABBA fan…)