CHRISTO - signed

Boldly signed by Christo and Jean-Claude on the first free endpaper. Very scarce signatures and book condition. A portfolio of 12 projects to date in color and black & white photography. Boards and pages are clean and crisp. Jacket is in protective clear jacket and appears to have only very minor wear. Jacket is price-clipped. Near fine condition. From the dust jacket flap: "Dominique G. Laporte's "Christo" is the most comprehensive book yet on one of the world's most celebrated-and delightful-artists. Whether he is wrapping the oldest bridge in Paris in silky golden cloth, raising a 24½-mile-long nylon fence in Sonoma and Marin counties, or surrounding eleven islands off Miami with floating pink polypropylene fabric, Christo's projects make us stop, take note, and wonder. They evoke a sense of mystery, of the interplay between what is seen and what is hidden, what is expected and what is not, what is permanent and what is transient. Their sheer visual beauty is breathtaking. To realize such projects, Christo not only brings off remarkable logistical and engineering feats, and provides all financing himself, he also, more often than not, involves a whole community in their creation. Small wonder that he is a favorite with critics and the general public alike. Laporte's "Christo" explores the artist's entire career, from his earliest projects to his latest triumphs. The fascinating text lets us see afresh such famous works as The Pont Neuf Wrapped, Wrapped Coast, Valley Curtain, Running Fence, and Surrounded Islands, while the abundant illustrations bring the full range of Christo's work to life. Many of Christo's exquisite preparatory drawings are included here. So are his own descriptions of his projects, giving detailed technical information about how they were (or will be) realized. And here, for the first time in any book, Christo presents his plans for his newest work-in• progress, The Umbrellas, Project for Japan and Western U.S.A. " 8.5 x 8.5 inches