In October 1969, New York artist Christo arrived in Sydney to wrap Little Bay (about 10 kilometres south of Bondi). The project attracted a lot of comment, much of it critical and mocking . His team of workers included art students and rock climbers. A group of thugs arrived and ridiculed the workers, and a scuffle broke out. Opinions varied from that of the Sydney Morning Herald’s JAC Dunn who said “The more you look at the rippling acres of polyweave enveloping the rocks….the more you get the Christmas feeling: ‘What’s underneath?” to the tabloid Daily Telegraph which asked “Who called the fire brigade?”
(From James Cockington, History Happened Here : strange but true stories from Australian suburbia.)
Having moved to Sydney the year before, but only being 11 years old, I have a vague memory of all this occurring, and would love to have seen it, but alas I didn't . . . all I can remembr are some black and white TV news images.
Pictures of Wrapped Coast
Christo's other projects included wrapping The Reichstag in 1995, and the Pont Neuf in 1985.
How very interesting. I can only ask...why...but then I'm not an artist.
ReplyDeletej'adore les travaux de Christo (et de sa femme Jeanne). Il surprend toujours et à des idées sublimes
ReplyDeleteI adore work of Christo (and of its Jeanne wife). It always surprises and with ideas sublimes
NZ (and I assume Oz to a lesser extent) were less than liberal when it came to culture in the 1950s and 60s
ReplyDeleteThe Nelson Mail wrote recently "Only a "poofter" would know words of three or more syllables, let alone use one in normal conversation"
When the Auckland Art Gallery bought Jacob Epstein's "Rock Drill in 1961, you would have thought the aliens were invading...
jb: so correct. The absolute ructions and carrying on when the National Gallery paid $1.3 million for Jackson Pollock's "Blue Poles" in the early 1970s. Absolutely priceless now of course, and the one truly great piece of modern art in Australia. Without exception. [I think it is superb - better than the Pollock works in his native New York, to my mind]. I heard Betty Churcher (former Nat Gallery director) interviewed. She said that even the merest hint that the gallery MIGHT be prepared to THINK about lending it was enough to secure international loans of all sorts of incredible riches for exhibitions! I don't think she ever did have to lend it!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Olivier. Me too I ever loved his works.
ReplyDeleteI have seen this wrapping before and never liked it but these rocks are a bit better for me.
ReplyDeleteLove the rocks as they are, but also like the artist's interpretation of them.
ReplyDeleteI love your photographs. Before I saw a Christo I used to think it ridiculous - then, in 1995, I happened to be in Berlin and saw Christo's Reichstag and it blew me away.
ReplyDeleteAnd Sally I so agree about Pollack's Blue Poles. Simply amazing. Something else I've been lucky enough to see.
Love this post. Mind you, I adore that scene without the wrapping too!
We'll be in Sydney next week for a big australian trip, we hope we can have a drink with you.
ReplyDeleteLet us a message on our email, if you are interested in ;o)
Cheers from Lyon, France
is that the bondi beach?
ReplyDeleteChristo's wraps are always controversial. I usually like them, and this 1969 Little Bay work is no exception! Of course, new cultural movements take some time to get recognition, when and if they get it; but then it's too late to get a bargain...
ReplyDeleteInteresting commentary and photos. Art like beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my NorthBayPhoto blog.
I have to admit that I always thought that Christo was a loon but then art is supposed to be subjective isn't it?
ReplyDeletetravelphilippines: no it isn't Bondi - that's about 10kms to the north. This beach is quite hard to get access to. You have to walk across a private golf course (yes, there is public access) or along a lengthy cliff top walk. It was part of a public hospital area (The Coast Hospital) which has now been sold off for private development - and when I visited there were secutiry guards on the access roads! But because there has to be public access to beaches, there will have to be some way through.
ReplyDeleteIt was a wonderful publicity gimmick, but having seen the spot before, during and after, Nature came out in front. Thankfully, scattering plastic of any sort near the ocean these days isn't encouraged.
ReplyDeleteIn 2005 I saw Christo's The Gates in Central Park. Of course, I saw thousands of photos and reports before I visited, but nothing prepared me for the beauty and wonder he and Jeanne-Marie created.
ReplyDeleteIf you'd like to see The Gates, I have photos posted here and here.
wonderful post - fascinating.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Sally!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this story, I didn't know about it
I prefer the non-wrapped version. If it's meant as a PSA to serve as a reminder to take care of our environment, then I can see that. I guess I'm stodgy and just don't understand. BTW, did you check out their website? Apparently, referring to them as "Christo" is a common error:
ReplyDelete"The artist is not Christo. The artists are Christo and Jeanne-Claude."
http://www.christojeanneclaude.net/
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Beautiful photo.
ReplyDeleteohh i see i thought it was in bondi beach....
ReplyDelete