Christo
b. 1935, Bulgaria
Green Show Window, 1965
Enamel paint on wood and plexiglass, with pegboard
218.5 x 120.5 x 9.5 cm
Green Show Window sees a life-size store show window with its glass panel covered in white enamel paint, and partially framed at the top of the glass with a pegboard. The show window was made with bulky waste items and scraps from demolished buildings, the size of which was inspired by the gigantic scale of New York’s architecture when Christo and his wife moved there from Paris in 1964. Extending Christo’s tradition of “wrapping” everyday objects, this work sees the artist’s investigation into obscuring the interior of an object rather than their outer shape, which dominated Christo’s previous works. Here, the viewer is unable to look into the show window and clearly see what is in store for them, unless they choose to make incredible effort at peering in through the numerous tiny holes of the pegboard. Even then, however, the viewer is unable to make a sufficiently good judgement of what lies behind, and Christo instils within the viewer a sense of unsatisfied voyeurism. Thus, the work denies the viewer of their engagement with such familiar routines.
Photo: Dezeen
Christo (1935-2020) was a Bulgarian artist known for his large-scale and site-specific installations made with Jeanne-Claude, his wife and lifetime creative partner. Christo is most recognised for his practice of wrapping everyday objects in to deprive them of their function and even obscure their identity, which later expanded into large-scale “wrappings” of entire environmental landscapes, such as walkways, coasts, and even islands. His direct, immediate, and radical approach to such appropriation art often led to controversy, with the makings of his art frequently involving political negotiation, environmental permits, court hearings, and public persuasion. Together with Jeanne-Claude, Christo’s art pushed the boundaries of painting, sculpture, and architecture, and the duo received the Praemium Imperiale (1995), the Vilcek Prize (2006), and the Lifetime Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award by the International Sculptural Centre (2004).
