Environmental Artist Christo Talks About His 'Land Art'

Environmental artist Christo--who has wrapped cliffs in blankets and cordoned off whole valleys with curtains--came to Harvard last night to talk about his monumental "land art."

Speaking before an audience that spilled into the aisles of the 120-seat Hilles Library Cinema, Christo described the environmental and political problems hampering several proposed projects. Although Christo plans his works for years before their completion, "each project is a revolution of my expectations," he said.

In March of 1983 Christo said he hopes to surround ten islands in Florida's Biscayne Bay with five and a half million square feet of pink fabric, an exploration of the interface between land and water. Environmentalists initially questioned the project because of possible damage to sea-grass, but an impact study disproved their concerns, he said.

Another Christo plan set back for the moment by red tape is wrapping Berlin's Reichstag, the former parliament building of Germany which lies on the border between East and West Germany, in cloth. "The sheer physicality of uniting Germany appeals to my interest in Eastern Europe" Christo said.