The Umbrellas
Christo and Jeanne-Claude
Nothing in the way
of a photographic record can convey the variegation and scope of the work
except Circlerama or Maysles et al. The precise effects achieved with a
single element disposed in canyon and open country are quite distinct in
several aspects. The high west wall of Gorman Pass has Chinese huts of a screen
painting, the flat arid east cliffs brim with an occasional Southern California
home. The canyon opens wide in a round vista of expansive dots rhythmically placed, the line extends down to a lake and gazebo, picture
perfect.
Large yellow
roughly cognate with beach or patio umbrellas. Blue in Japan, moist or dry, two
overlooked cultures.