The Fleming Museum presents Christo and Jeanne-Claude: The Tom Golden Collection, open through December 18, 2010.
In 2001 Tom Golden donated his collection of works by renowned artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude to the Sonoma County Museum. Golden’s personal and professional relationship with the artists began when he met them during the 1974 public hearings for their project Running Fence, Sonoma and Marin counties, 1972-1976. Golden went on to manage or assist with a number of the artists’ large-scale projects including The Umbrellas, Joint Project for Japan and the USA, 1984-1991 and, more recently, the as-yet unrealized Over the River, Project for the Arkansas River. Actively engaged with the art he so loved for nearly 30 years, Golden passed away at his home in late 2002.
Tom Golden’s remarkable collection reflects his friendship with and admiration for Christo and the late Jeanne-Claude. This exhibition features over 125 original drawings, sculptures, collages, and photographs, which trace their impressive careers. Including original works from 1972 to the present, the collection captures the versatility, longevity, and international scope of Christo’s and Jeanne-Claude’s work. Drawings and collages of the large-scale public works, sold to fund the actual installations, are an important component of this collection. The projects include Running Fence, Surrounded Islands, The Pont Neuf Wrapped and Wrapped Reichstag, among many others. There are also a multitude of smaller projects represented in original drawings, from the whimsical Package on Radio Flyer Wagon to the haunting Wrapped Woman. Finally, unique to this collection are some small, poignant pieces made especially for Golden, including a wrapped bouquet of flowers.
This exhibition was organized by the Sonoma County Museum, Santa Rosa, California, from their collection. The exhibition tour was organized by Landau Traveling Exhibitions, Los Angeles, California. Its showing at the Fleming Museum has been funded by the Kalkin Family Exhibitions Endowment. The exhibition and Christo’s talk have also been generously supported in part by David Beitzel ’80 and Darren Walker.
Fleming Museum 61 Colchester Avenue Burlington, Vermont 05405 USA
www.uvm.edu/~fleming
