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Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Ocean Front, 50 Years Later

Curated by Dodie Kazanjian

July 13, 2024 - 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. 

Christo, Ocean Front (Project for Covering the Bay at Ragged Point at Ocean Drive – New Port – Fact Passage), 1974, Collage of pencil, wax crayon, charcoal, ballpoint pen, technical data, map, fabric, staples, Photostat and tape, Gift of the Trust Under the Will of Jeanne-Claude Christo-Javacheff and the Estate of Christo V. Javacheff, Photo: Wolfgang Volz, © 1974 Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation, 2023.007.001.

Document #33 [Unipolycon seaward anchorage], July 24, 1974, Gift of the Trust Under the Will of Jeanne-Claude Christo-Javacheff and the Estate of Christo V. Javacheff, © 1974 Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation, 2023.007.041.

Christo, Ocean Front (Bay Cover - Project for covering the Cove at King’s Beach, New Port, Rhode Island), 1974, Collage of pencil, fabric, charcoal, enamel paint, and cardboard, Gift of the Trust Under the Will of Jeanne-Claude Christo-Javacheff and the Estate of Christo V. Javacheff, © 1974 Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation, 2023.007.005.

Document #39 [Unipolycon anchors specifications], July 23, 1974, Gift of the Trust Under the Will of Jeanne-Claude Christo-Javacheff and the Estate of Christo V. Javacheff, © 1974 Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation, 2023.007.047.

Christo, Ocean Front (Project for Covering the Bay at King’s Beach, New Port), 1974, Collage of pencil, wax crayon, charcoal, ballpoint pen, fabric, staples, Photostat, fabric sample and tape, Gift of the Trust Under the Will of Jeanne-Claude Christo-Javacheff and the Estate of Christo V. Javacheff, Photo: Wolfgang Volz, © 1974 Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation, 2023.007.002.