During the 1950s, Christo and Jeanne-Claude were just beginning to lay the groundwork for their future large-scale environmental art projects. Christo Vladimirov Javacheff, born in Bulgaria in 1935, fled the communist regime in 1957 and eventually settled in Paris. It was here, in the late 1950s, that he met Jeanne-Claude Denat de Guillebon, born on the same day as Christo in Morocco, who would become his lifelong collaborator and partner. Christo’s early works from this period were significantly influenced by his background and the political turmoil he had experienced. His initial artistic endeavors involved creating small-scale wrapped objects. Inspired by the work of Dadaist artists like Man Ray and the principles of Nouveau Réalisme, Christo began wrapping everyday items such as cans, bottles, and furniture in fabric and plastic. These early wrappings aimed to obscure the objects, prompting viewers to reconsider their form and function by focusing on the new sculptural qualities introduced by the wrappings. In 1958, Christo was commissioned to paint a portrait of Jeanne-Claude’s mother, which led to their meeting and eventual romantic and professional partnership. This period marked the beginning of their collaborative efforts, with Jeanne-Claude playing a crucial role in the conceptualization and realization of their projects. She managed the logistical, financial, and bureaucratic aspects, allowing Christo to focus on the artistic elements. Their early works, while smaller in scale compared to their later monumental installations, laid the conceptual and technical foundations for their future projects. These works reflected their interest in altering perceptions and the relationship between the visible and the hidden, themes that would become central to their later large-scale environmental installations. By the end of the 1950s, Christo and Jeanne-Claude had begun to establish their unique artistic voice, one that would evolve and expand dramatically in the following decades. The late 1950s were a formative period for Christo and Jeanne-Claude, setting the stage for their pioneering contributions to environmental and conceptual art. Their innovative approach during these years hinted at the grand scale and public engagement that would define their later works. The Art Story Artland Magazine Artnet News