Covered in Color: Christo and Jeanne-Claude's Fabrics of Freedom
by Elisa Boxer (Author) Susanna Chapman (Illustrator)
A vibrantly illustrated biography about visionary artist Christo, encouraging creativity, perseverance, and appreciating the beauty all around us
Christo (1935-2020) and Jeanne-Claude (1935-2009) are renowned for their large-scale, ambitious art installations that wrapped landmarks and swaths of land in fabric, including Berlin's Wrapped Reichstag, Paris's The Pont Neuf Wrapped, and concluding with New York City's The Gates in Central Park (2005).
This lively biography chronicles Christo's humble childhood in Soviet-controlled Bulgaria under a regime that suppressed individuality and creativity to his international fame as a bold (and controversial) innovator in the art world.
Christo discovered an early love of art and found a way to make a living out of his passion by wrapping bottles, cans, stacks of magazines, and even an air conditioner. When he met his wife, Jeanne-Claude, they moved to New York City as undocumented immigrants and became equal partners in both life and work -- he, the artist, and she, the dealmaker. Together, Christo and Jeanne-Claude made elaborate, visually stunning installations that transformed public spaces around the world, all free to the public. Christo never explained why he felt compelled to wrap things in fabric; rather, his work celebrated individual interpretation and the simple joy of seeing something familiar in a new way. Though each work was temporary, their awe-inspiring designs, uniting nature with the manmade, stayed with viewers long afterward.
Covered in Color inspires readers to appreciate the beauty around us, however fleeting, and to push the boundaries of "possible."
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Publishers Weekly
Boxer focuses on the way that the early experiences of artist Christo (1935-2020) under authoritarian regimes shaped his large public works. While partner Jeanne-Claude (1935-2009) makes some appearances, the text focuses primarily on Christo. Beginning with his youth in Nazi-occupied and then Communist-controlled Bulgaria, urgent-sounding lines describe a budding artist who chafed under restrictions before finally escaping to Paris and beginning his reputation-defining work: wrapping structures including buildings, coastlines, monuments, and even islands in fabric. The narrative reaches its culmination with the creation of New York City's The Gates, 26 years in the making per an author's note. Chapman's fluid, rainbow-hued, predominantly watercolor and gouache illustrations burst with movement--an ideal accompaniment befitting the artists' aesthetic. Author and artist notes, endnotes, and sources conclude. Ages 4-8. (Aug.)
Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 3--This is the story of two 20th-century artists who created artwork on a truly massive scale; they used huge pieces of fabric to wrap buildings to create colorful, beautiful, gigantic art. Their story of life, love, and art is illustrated by Chapman, who captures the beauty, movement, and scale of the partners' creations in sweeping scenes. Boxer's storytelling weaves neatly into the artwork, mirroring, perhaps, the democratic and equitable relationship between the two artists and romantic partners. The story starts with Christo's childhood during World War II and explores how those early years of hardship and trauma are part of what made Christo the artist he became, following his path across the globe, to meeting Jeanne-Claude, to their collaborative process. Over the course of the book, readers learn of the obstacles, rejections, and successes of Christo and Jeanne-Claude, in accessible prose and dynamic artwork. Back matter includes an author's note and an artist's note, as well as sources for further research. VERDICT The scale of the creations alone make for interesting study; young readers will be enthralled by the thinking and planning that went along with these massive undertakings.--Jessica Schriver
Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
"This one is perfect for storytimes and interdisciplinary curriculum units alike. . .Draped in striking hues and compelling from cover to cover—a gem of a biography!" —Kirkus Reviews
Artists
Christo
Jeanne-Claude
Conceptual art
