Up on the northern end of the Arkansas River, in Colorado, locals are battling Christo and wife Jeanne-Claude over plans to suspend 5.9 miles of fabric high above the waterway. A group named Rags over the River contends that the project—although displayed for only two weeks, it will take two years to construct—will disrupt the Bighorn Sheep habitat and cause environmental havoc. (In this video, where the artist is eagerly dashing about the riverbanks, repeating the words "all fabric....all fabric....all fabric," you can sense how Christo's enthusiasm, and yes his substantial resume, might have helped convince the feds to give him the permit.)

Because Christo has been the subject of controversy before, his website offers a helpful/defensive "Most Common Errors" section, where you'll learn that the life of an artist is not easy (he works 14 hour days/7 days a week) and that it is a big mistake—"idiotic"—to call him "the wrapping artist" and no, he does not use plastic materials but fabric. It's hard to decide if his works are destructive—since every move is monitored, it would be hard to leave the site a mess. The artworks, however, can be dramatic and perspective-changing and they do in fact draw colossal attention to the environment. Someone should tell him about the views in the Ozarks.

More info at the project site Over the River.