Michelangelo and Christo

Christo is a modern artist who undertakes with his work for years. His temporary large-scale environmental works (both urban and rural environments) have elements of painting, sculpture, architecture and urban planning. What is very interesting about his work is that he and his wife pay for the whole project so that way they are totally free in their artistic expression; they are not attached as Michelangelo was to his patrons will.

Michelangelo was attached to his work at the Sistine chapel for more than 5 years (for the first part of the project) he had to paint all the ceiling with frescos about the subjects the Pope commanded, so he had a contract till he finished the ceiling paintings. He was not free to paint as he wanted, he even was asked to paint over his nude “immoral” paintings, but he took some vengeance painting people he didn’t like in hell (like the pope himself)

Took 27 years until Christo could complete “The Gates” (Central Park, New York) project. The 7,503 gates were spaced at 3,65 meter intervals. The gates and the fabric panels were seen from far away through the leafless branches of the trees. The work of art remained for 16 days, then the gates were removed and the materials industrially recycled. The first 25 years were used to get the New York government permits, just as Michelangelo times change and the artist also had to accept a lot of orders of what not to do. Michelangelo was ordered to paint the apocalypse by the Medici Family as a payback of his betray. Christo believes that his art is a kind of pay back to nature and men, in doing so; they could see and perceive the whole environment with new eyes and a new consciousness.

Christo and Michelangelo are great artists who were compromised with their work, both undertook big projects, but Michelangelo’s work have a long time life, and Christo’s work are just about few days.