Bidspirit auction | Christo & Jeanne-Claude ”Wrapped Building”

Christo & Jeanne-Claude ”Wrapped Building” Print - Christo Vladimirov Javacheff (Bulgarian/American, 1935-2020) and Jeanne-Claude Denat de Guillebon (French/American, 1935-2009). Lithograph print and collage on Arches paper mounted on museum board titled ”Wrapped Building, Project for 1 Times Square, New York, ” 1999. Composed of fabric, thread, transparent polyethylene, staples, a portion of a photograph and map, and masking tape. With charcoal and color pigment embellishments. Pencil signed and editioned 91/125 along the lower right. Titled in plate along the lower third of the work. Provenance: Mezzanine Gallery, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2004; From the Estate of Gary Fink. Lot Essay: Husband-and-wife artist duo, Christo and Jeanne-Claude are best known for their monumental, temporary public art installations. Enjoying a multi-decade partnership, the two collaborated from 1961 until Jeanne-Claude's death in 2009, financing every project on their own by selling preparatory sketches, collages, and additional artworks. Although their projects were credited solely to Christo until 1994, the duo later revealed that all of their work had been created jointly. From early wrapped objects to monumental environmental projects, Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s art transcended the traditional boundaries of painting, sculpture, and architecture. Beginning with early installations in Europe, Christo and Jeanne-Claude gained international acclaim for transforming landscapes and landmarks with fabric and other temporary materials. Their most celebrated works include ”Wrapped Coast” near Sydney, ”Surrounded Islands” in Miami, ”The Pont-Neuf Wrapped” in Paris, ”The Umbrellas” in Japan and California, ”Wrapped Reichstag” in Berlin, and ”The Gates” in New York City's Central Park. Their ambitious, site-specific projects were designed to exist only briefly, emphasizing the experience of the artwork rather than its permanence. Gary C. Fink was a collector with both a lighthearted sense of humor and a serious commitment to art. Through the Museum Louvre It or Leave It, he offered Minnesotans an offbeat, thought-provoking experience; through MIA gifts, he broadened institutional collections; and through his scholarship, he continues to enable the next generation of artists. A Renaissance soul in the heart of Minnesota's art community, Gary C. Fink was more than an astute collector - he was a spirited patron whose unconventional vision left an indelible mark on the creative landscape. Sight; height: 35 in x width: 24 in. Framed; height: 48 1/2 in x width: 30 3/4 in x depth: 2 in. Condition: There are no visible tears. There is minor creasing along the lower left and right corner of the sheet. There is a minute loss along the lower left extreme edge of the sheet. Work floated in frame. Framed under plexiglass. Light wear to the frame. Work not inspected out of frame.