orig. Christo Javacheff
born June 13, 1935, Gabrovo, Bulg.
Bulgarian-born U.S. environmental artist.
After attending Sofia's Fine Arts Academy, he moved to Paris in 1958, where he invented empaquetage , the wrapping of objects in various materials as art. He began with cans and bottles, and eventually his projects expanded to buildings and landscapes. In 1964 he moved to New York City. He is noted for such monumental outdoor projects as Valley Curtain (197072) in Rifle Gap, Colo., and Running Fence (197276) in Marin and Sonoma counties, Calif. In 1995 he wrapped the Berlin Reichstag in metallic silver fabric. Though his displays, which are temporary and involve hundreds of workers, are controversial among environmentalists, they have been critically well received. Since 1961 most have been collaborative efforts with his wife, Jeanne-Claude (b. 1935).