I have been enthralled with artist Christo and his wife, Jeanne-Claude, for years. When I discovered that we were just a few miles from a landmark commemorating one of their great works, the Running Fence, we had to go and learn more.
Inspired by a snow fence they saw while driving along the Continental Divide in 1972, the artists envisioned a large installation that would enhance the topography of the land. The actual fence crossed 14 major roads and went through only one town: Valley Ford. And to Valley Ford is where our day took us.
The Running Fence statistics were staggering: 18 feet high, 24.5 miles long (extending east-west near Freeway 101, north of San Francisco), on the private properties of 59 ranchers, following the rolling hills and dropping down to the Pacific Ocean at Bodega Bay. The art project consisted of 42 months of collaborative efforts, the ranchers’ participation, eighteen public hearings, three sessions at the Superior Courts of California, the drafting of a 450-page Environmental Impact Report and the temporary use of the hills, the sky and the ocean. The Running Fence was completed on September 10, 1976.
It was made of 2.15 million square feet of heavy woven white nylon fabric, hung from a steel cable strung between 2,050 steel poles (each 21 feet long, 3.5 inches in diameter) embedded 3 feet into the ground, using no concrete and braced laterally with guy wires, 90 miles of steel cable and 14,000 earth anchors. The top and bottom edges of the 2,050 fabric panels were secured to the upper and lower cables by 350,000 hooks.
All expenses for the temporary work of art were paid by Christo and Jeanne-Claude through the sale of studies, preparatory drawings and collages, scale models and original lithographs. The artists did not accept sponsorship of any kind. Knowing what I know now, I am really disappointed I did not get to see any of this amazing project in real life.
All that remains is one of the 2,050 steel poles.
This pole #7-33 was erected permanently by Christo at the request of the citizens of Sonoma County to commemorate this historic event.
Here is a wonderful video overview of the entire creative process. It is mindboggling how all this came to be... all for viewing only from September 10 through September 21, 1976. History is really everywhere. I love this!
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