Christo and Jeanne Claude; the London Mastaba

Born on the same day, 13th of June 1935; Christo Vladimirov Javacheff was born in Gabrovo, Bulgaria and Jeanne Claude first opened her eyes in Morocco. As destiny had planned they both met in Paris in the year 1958 where Christo painted a portrait of Jeanne Claude's mother. That’s how they first connected and slowly fell in love creating art together.

Their work is visually very impressive and at times the centre of controversy because of its scale. However, they always maintain that their art is to create simple joys and beauty and create new ways to see familiar landscapes in a new perspective. They also emphasis on the fact that their art work is not permanent and it takes courage to be left only with the preparatory drawings and collages that are left long after the installation gets dismantled.

Most famous of the couple’s art installations are , The oil Barrels, The Documenta 4, The Wrapped Coast, The Valley Curtain, The Running Fence, The Wrapped walkways,  Wrapped Reichstag to name a few.

The London Mastaba is yet another piece of art that will make your head turn. Made out of 7506, horizontally stacked barrels colored red and purple features pointillism neatly stacked making a eye catching Trapezoid, that stands like a super yacht floating on the waters of the Serpentine Lake.

Mastaba in Middle East means a memorial structure, a tomb or a “house of Eternity”.

Sadly Jeanne Claude died on the 18^th of November 2009, at the age of 74 due to some complications that resulted from brain Aneurysm.

By: Madhuchanda Saxena

Content: http://www.artnews.com/2018/06/28/dream-come-true-christos-600-ton-london-mastaba-unveiled-london/