Quotes by Artists

We tell them that we believe it will be beautiful because that is our specialty, we only create joy and beauty. We have never done a sad work. Through the drawings, we hope a majority will be able to visualize it. Christo

If some of our works are symphonies, then wrapped walkways was chamber music. Christo

Music Symphonies Our Wrapped Some Then Works Chamber

And for every project, because it takes years, you can see the early drawings and collages as just a simple, vague idea, and through the years and through the negotiations of getting the permit, you see that every detail is now clarified. Christo

But now, today, we don't know if Over the River is truly the next project to be realized, because something very nice happened to our life in November in New York. Christo

New York is our home. Christo

Home Our New York New York

Now, to describe the process of the Wrapped Reichstag, which went from 1971 to '95, there is an entire book about that, because each one of our projects has its own book. The book is not an art book, meaning it's not written by an art historian. Christo

Art Book Own Our Projects Wrapped Entire About Written Because Historian Process Which Meaning Describe Each Reichstag Now Each One

People think our work is monumental because it's art, but human beings do much bigger things: they build giant airports, highways for thousands of miles, much, much bigger than what we create. Christo

The only place where people in Manhattan walk for leisure is in the park. Christo

People Walk Only Park Where Manhattan Leisure Place

The other work we started in 1992, it is called Over the River, Project for the Arkansas River in the state of Colorado, we haven't got the permit yet. And, we are working at both of those, trying to get the permit. Therefore, we do not know which one will be realized next. Christo

We wish to work in total freedom. Christo

Work Freedom Wish Total Total Freedom

The decision to use only the name Christo was made deliberately when we were young because it is difficult for one artist to get established and we wanted to put all the chances on our side. Christo

Decision Made Young Difficult Side Our Only Deliberately Put Name Because Were Get Artist Established Wanted Use Chances

In 1964, Jeanne-Claude and I became illegal aliens. That's when we moved here from Paris. And for three years, we were illegal aliens living in an illegal building. At that time, some artists started to move to SoHo, and they put A.I.R. - artists-in-residence - up on their windows. Christo

I escaped from my home country, Bulgaria, to Czechoslovakia and then to the West. Christo

Home Country Bulgaria West Escaped Then Czechoslovakia

We never work on only one project because we never know if we will get permission for a project. So, for 'Over the River,' we started in 1992. I was just finishing 'The Umbrellas' in Japan and California, and I was also working on getting permission to wrap the Reichstag. Christo

Some of the projects we've proposed over the years have been refused. But we never do other people's ideas; our ideas come out of our two hearts and our two heads. Christo

People Other Our Projects Out Some Proposed Never Over Come Heads Ideas Been Years Hearts Refused Two

In my art, I deconstruct and then I reconstruct, so visual perception is one of my primary interests. Chuck Close

Art Perception Visual Reconstruct Primary Then Interests

Inspiration is highly overrated. If you sit around and wait for the clouds to part, it's not liable to ever happen. More often than not, work is salvation. Chuck Close

Work You Clouds Wait Sit Liable More Inspiration Part Highly Around Overrated Than Salvation Often Happen Ever

I don't work with inspiration. Inspiration is for amateurs. I just get to work. Chuck Close

Work Inspiration Amateur Get Just

I have a great deal of difficulty recognizing faces, especially if I haven't - if I've just met somebody, it's hopeless. Chuck Close

Great Great Deal Hopeless Somebody Met Difficulty Recognizing Faces Deal Just

I think most paintings are a record of the decisions that the artist made. I just perhaps make them a little clearer than some people have. Chuck Close

People Made Some People Think Record Some Clearer Perhaps Most Make Than Artist Just Decisions Little Them Paintings

I discovered about 150 dots is the minimum number of dots to make a specific recognizable person. You can make something that looks like a head, with fewer dots, but you won't be able to give much information about who it is. Chuck Close

I did some pastels and I did other pieces in which there was just basically one color per square, and then they would get bigger and I could get 2 or 3 colors into the square, and ultimately I just started making oil paintings. Chuck Close

You know, the way art history is taught, often there's nothing that tells you why the painting is great. The description of a lousy painting and the description of a great painting will very much sound the same. Chuck Close