Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Ocean Front, 50 Years Later
Curated by Dodie Kazanjian
THROUGH DECEMBER 29, 2024
Morris & Cushing Galleries (Cushing Building)
The exhibition, curated by Dodie Kazanjian, Vogue art world correspondent and founding director of Art&Newport, features original collages, drawings, archival materials, and documentary photographs by Gianfranco Gorgoni. These pieces offer a comprehensive look at the artistic process behind the Ocean Front project, which captivated audiences and temporarily transformed the coastline of Newport in 1974.
Conceived as part of Sam Hunter’s legendary 1974 exhibition Monumenta, which featured works by Alexander Calder, Willem de Kooning, Richard Serra, Claes Oldenburg, and many others, Ocean Front was Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s first public work on the East Coast. Already famous for their environmentally-scaled installations that reimagined dramatic landscapes, Ocean Front marked the duo’s pioneering effort to temporarily cover a part of the sea.
Vladimir Yavachev, Christo’s nephew and Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s Director of Projects, who began working with the artists when he was still a teenager, remarked: “This exhibition not only revisits the groundbreaking 1974 installation but also highlights what attracted Christo and Jeanne-Claude to Newport. The city’s rich maritime history and architectural heritage provided a perfect canvas for their transformative vision.”
Against the stunning backdrop of Newport’s King’s Beach, Ocean Front involved covering the cove with 150,000 square feet of white woven polypropylene floating fabric using a custom boom and rigging system.
The installation, despite its ephemeral nature, left an indelible mark on the art world, setting important precedents for Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s subsequent projects, including Surrounded Islands in Miami and The Floating Piers in Italy.
Works on loan from these later projects are also on view.
In conjunction with the Ocean Front exhibition, the Museum proudly features a commissioned installation by New York-based artist Eric N. Mack. Known for his dynamic use of textiles and found materials, Mack’s work engages directly with the legacy of Christo and Jeanne-Claude, echoing the innovative spirit of Ocean Front by exploring the boundaries of fabric, form, and space.