Art Without Barriers
SANDRA MARSH AND RHIANNON BOWMAN
As country kids we took up every opportunity to see sophisticated Sydney. We were in awe of the teamwork and the originality of the idea.
When Sandra Marsh and Rhiannon Bowman moved from the small town of Inverell to commence their teaching careers in Sydney, the wrapping of a coastline near the city was high on their list of things to see. Sandra remembers visiting Little Bay on an overcast day in 1969:
As country kids we took up every opportunity to see sophisticated Sydney. We were in awe of the teamwork and the originality of the idea.
There were no barriers between the public and the art, and visitors were able to get close to Christo, Jeanne-Claude and the volunteers as they worked on the installation. This made a lasting impression on Rhiannon:
It was quite a surreal experience and thrilling to see something so far from our experience of life and so avant-garde. We were so keen to leave Australia behind, go to Europe and see the world and yet here was a world-famous artist doing something extraordinary on our doorstep.