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Home>Research>Library>Image Collections>Process and Participation in the Work of Christo and Jeanne-Claude>Wrapped Floor and Stairway

Introduction

Shunk-Kender Photography Collection

Early Works, Paris 1963-1964

Wrapped Museum of Contemporary Art / Wrapped Floor and Stairway 1968-1969

Wrapped Coast 1968-1969

Valley Curtain 1970-1972

# Wrapped Museum of Contemporary Art / Wrapped Floor and Stairway: 1968-1969

Overall view of *Wrapped Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, 1968–69,*1969, gelatin silver print, Shunk-Kender Photography Collection, Department of Image Collections, National Gallery of Art Library, Gift of the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation in memory of Harry Shunk and János Kender.  © Christo. Photograph: Shunk-Kender © J. Paul Getty Trust. All Rights Reserved.                                              

In 1964, Christo and Jeanne-Claude moved to the United States and settled in New York City; in 1967, Harry Shunk and János Kender went to Canada and then also relocated to New York. They began photographing for the artists again, now extensively documenting the large-scale projects Christo and Jeanne-Claude were creating, including two works for the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, which were the artists’ first wrapping of a public building in the United States. The museum’s director, Jan van der Marck, coordinated the project and later became the project director for *Valley Curtain*. For *Wrapped Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, 1968–69*, the artists, museum staff, and local art school students spent two days covering the building exterior in 10,000 square  feet of water- and fire-resistant brown canvas tarpaulin and four thousand feet of Manila rope, leaving the roof and exits of the museum uncovered. For *Wrapped Floor and Stairway, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, 1968–69*, Christo and Jeanne-Claude draped the interior lower gallery, which had been cleared and painted white, with 2,800 square feet of off-white cotton dropcloth secured with ropes.

The finished works were exhibited as *Christo: Wrap In Wrap Out*, and were on view to the public January 18 through March 2, 1969.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude *Wrapped Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, 1968–69*

Christo and a worker drape fabric on the museum’s exterior walls for *Wrapped Museum of Contemporary Art*.

© Christo. Photograph: Shunk-Kender © J. Paul Getty Trust. All Rights Reserved. 

Christo and Jeanne-Claude*Wrapped Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, 1968–69*

Christo, on ladder, ties ropes across the fabric.

© Christo. Photograph: Shunk-Kender © J. Paul Getty Trust. All Rights Reserved.  

Christo and Jeanne-Claude*Wrapped Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, 1968–69*

Overall view.

© Christo. Photograph: Shunk-Kender © J. Paul Getty Trust. All Rights Reserved.  

Christo and Jeanne-Claude*Wrapped Floor and Stairway, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, 1968–69*

Christo drapes the museum’s interior for *Wrapped Floor and Stairway*.

© Christo. Photograph: Shunk-Kender © J. Paul Getty Trust. All Rights Reserved.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude*Wrapped Floor and Stairway, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, 1968–69*

Christo covers the floors with fabric.

© Christo. Photograph: Shunk-Kender © J. Paul Getty Trust. All Rights Reserved.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude*Wrapped Floor and Stairway, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, 1968–69*

Jeanne-Claude and Christo at the reception for *Christo: Wrap In Wrap Out*.

© Christo. Photograph: Shunk-Kender © J. Paul Getty Trust. All Rights Reserved.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude*Wrapped Floor and Stairway, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, 1968–69*

Guests view *Wrapped Floor and Stairway*; Jeanne-Claude at far left.

© Christo. Photograph: Shunk-Kender © J. Paul Getty Trust. All Rights Reserved.

Click on a slide above to view a larger image and detailed description (7 images total)

Christo and Jeanne-Claude in the Vogel Collection

Artists' website

Roy Lichtenstein Foundation

Getty Research Institute

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