From Wolfgang Volz's epilogue to Burt Chernow’s 2000 Christo and Jeanne-Claude: A Biography:
Life at Howard Street follows the same routine. Christo gets up shortly before 7:00 A.M., shaves, drinks coffee, and eats fruit for breakfast. He works at his studio until the mail arrives, usually around eleven o’clock. Then he reads the New York Times and opens the daily stack of mail. Every other day, Christo walks down to an art-supply store on Canal Street to buy paper, charcoal, pencils, wax crayons, and glue. He then remains in his studio until the afternoon. . . .
At around 11:00 A.M., Jeanne-Claude’s assistant arrives. Lunch consists only of water and vitamin C pills. Answering every fax and piece of mail as quickly as possible has always been one of Jeanne-Claude’s abiding principles. The archive needs attention, and the phones ring constantly—calls from team members working on a project, collectors, gallery owners, museum curators, and fans. Christo and Jeanne-Claude often receive guests in the afternoon. . . . Three times a week, Christo and Jeanne-Claude get shiatsu massages to keep them in good shape.
They listen exclusively to music by Mozart. It has become an unwritten law that whenever Christo and Jeanne-Claude appear, any music other than works by Mozart should be turned off. “It’s very easy,” says Jeanne-Claude. “We like only the best.” Mozart is played all day at Howard Street at a fairly low volume. . . .
In the evening, if they go out or have guests, Christo shaves a second time and changes his clothes. At 7:30 P.M., there are often guests in the downstairs floor; Christo serves drinks. For a number of years now, dinners have taken place at a nearby restaurant. Because there are always collectors, engineers, specialists, and other collaborators among the guests, most conversations center on the latest project. Every now and then, Christo and Jeanne-Claude eat their meals at home. They often have the doggy bags from the previous evening’s dinner. Jeanne-Claude hates to throw away food, as she dislikes wasting anything. After dinner, Christo and Jeanne-Claude work for another hour or two.
Read more in Christo and Jeanne-Claude's daily routine
Comments