#breckenridge #colorado #realestate #coloradorealtor
RIFLE — Imagine driving along the highway in August of 1972 and seeing 4.5 acres of fabric strung across the valley from peak to peak. The orange material created a contrast between the blue skies above and the landscape below and was an odd sight for drivers.
That was the scene created 50 years ago by “Valley Curtain” (1970-1972) on Highway 325 north of Rifle, Colorado, but not for long. Wind ultimately caused the art installation to be taken down from the Grand Hogback Mountain Range. The endeavor was one of the first large-scale projects done by the late husband and wife artist team Christo and Jeanne-Claude. The duo fascinated an entire generation and beyond with their larger-than-life works of art around the world. Their legacy will be the topic of the Summervail Art Workshop Legacy Project and Vail Symposium’s event Thursday at 6 p.m. at Vail Mountain School.
“In 1971, the plan was to hoist the fabric up to the cable that would span the width of the valley but as soon as they started lifting the fabric up higher the wind caught it and started pushing it around. Part of the fabric went into the creek and got wet, so it became heavy and it was blown into the rocks, which then cut the fabric,” explained Dan Telleen, a local artist and owner of Karats Jewelers in Vail Village.
