Christo Javacheff the artist who worked to turn landscapes and buildings into massive, temporary works of art, died on March 2021 at age 84. Christo surprised the world again and again with the imagination and size of the artworks he created.
Christo, born in Bulgaria in 1935, met his wife Jeanne-Claude in Paris in 1959. Together, the two formed a strong partnership that lasted the rest of their lives. They worked as a team to create huge works of art called installations. In these installations, Christo and Jeanne often changed the way buildings or large areas of land looked — a kind of art known as "land art”.
The two were most noted for “wrapping” things so large that most people would never think to wrap them. Many of their projects used huge pieces of cloth or plastic. For example, in 1969, they wrapped 1.6 miles of rocky coastline near Sydney, Australia and it was the largest artwork ever made. In 1995, they used cloth to wrap up the Reichstag, a famous and historic building in Berlin, Germany.
Being extremely large, their art works cost a fortune to create. The artists paid for the projects themselves by selling the plans, drawings, and models they made for each installation. Many projects seemed so unusual that the couple had to work very hard to get permission to create them.
But, like almost all of the artist's work, it was only meant to last a short time. Most of the installations only stayed up for a few weeks or months before being taken down.
“I am an artist, and I have to have courage," Christo said. "Do you know I don't have any artworks that exist? They all go away when they're finished." Christo himself has gone away, leaving behind an art world forever changed by the memory of his huge and daring artworks.
60. For what were the couple best known?
A.Overcoming financial problems. |
B.Tearing down old-fashioned buildings. |
C.Inventing innovative building materials. |
D.Packaging huge landscapes and buildings. |
61. Which of the following can best describe Christo?
A.Considerate and humble. | B.Creative and courageous. |
C.Enthusiastic and careful. | D.Demanding and generous. |
62. What did Christo mean by his words in the last paragraph?
A.His artworks were temporary. |
B.His hard work didn't pay off at last. |
C.He regretted exhibiting his artworks. |
D.He didn't expect his works to last long. |
63. Which of the following can be the best title for this text?
A.Christo's Collection of Massive Artworks |
B.Christo's Enormous Influence on Architecture |
C.Christo: an Artist Who Dreamed and Built Big |
D.Christo and Jeanne: a Couple Who Warmed the World |