Christo and Jeanne-Claude, 1969
Christo and Jeanne-Claude Wrapped Coast – one million square feet
Little Bay, Sydney. Work started 5 October, completed 28 October; dismantled 11-14 December.
Little Bay, property of Prince Henry Hospital, is located 14.5 kilometres southeast of the centre of Sydney. The cliff-lined shore area that was wrapped is approximately 2.4 kilometres long, 46 to 244 metres wide, 26 metres high at the northern cliffs, and at sea level at the southern sandy beach.
92,900 square metres (one million square feet) of erosion control mesh (synthetic woven fibre usually manufactured for agricultural purposes), was used for the wrapping. It was installed in lengths of 11.6 by 183 metres or 22 x 91.5 metres. 56 kilometres of polypropylene rope of 3.2 centimetres circumference tied the fabric to the rocks. Ramset guns fired 25,000 charges of fasteners, threaded studs and clips to secure the rope to the rocks.
John Kaldor was the project co-ordinator. Ninian Melville. A retired major in the Army Corps of Engineers, was in charge of the construction site. 17,000 manpower hours over a period of 4 weeks were expended by 15 professional mountain climbers, 110 labourers, students from the University of Sydney and East Sydney Technical College, as well as a number of Australian artists and teachers.
The project was financed by Christo through the sale of his drawings and collages. The coast remained wrapped for a period of 10 weeks from 28 October 1969, then all materials were removed and the site returned to its original condition.
While in Australia the aritsts also executed 'Wool Works' [two wrapped truck loads of wool bales; 75 opened and rearranged wool bales] at National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne from 1-30 November.
