The Umbrellas, Japan-USA, 1984-1991
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View on museum website →Medium
color photograph by Wolfgang Volz mounted on aluminum panel
Dimensions
overall: 40 x 50.2 cm (15 3/4 x 19 3/4 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Dorothy and Herbert Vogel Collection
Accession Number
2001.9.17
Art Historical Context
Christo and Jeanne-Claude, visionary duo renowned for their monumental, temporary environmental installations, created *The Umbrellas,-USA* (1984-1991) as a spectacular cross-cultural spectacle. In 1991, they 3,100 massive blue-and-yellow umbrellaseach 6 meters tall—across rural valleys in southern California and Japan's Ibaraki Province. This ambitious project, meticulously planned over seven years and entirely self-financed, symbolized harmony between Eastern and Western cultures, with contrasting colors evoking each nation's identity. The installation drew millions of visitors, transformin...