”The Umbrellas (Project for Japan and Western USA)”
Signed Christo and dated 1989. Diptych. Collage on panel, pencil, charcoal, crayon, pastel, fabric, map and bic pen. Mounted with plexiglass, 78.2 x 67.2 cm and 78.2 x 31.2 cm.
Provenance
Acquired directly from the artist.
Private Collection, Stockholm.
More information
The artists Christo (1935-2020) and Jeanne-Claude (1935-2009) worked together for over 50 years. Their enormous and astounding art projects of city and landscape elements made them world-famous. They mastered the whole creative process from idea and documentation to realization.
Before the projects were realized in full size, the artistic idea emerged in preparatory sketches, collages, drawings, and scale models. These works of art made in Christo's studio should be considered the most important steps in the creative process. They all have their own value and document the artistic development of the project. The work in the auction "The Umbrellas (Project for Japan and Western USA)" from 1989 is one such original work.
The temporary work, which was only live for 18 days, was funded entirely by "The Umbrellas, Joint Project for Japan and the U.S.A. Corporation" (Jeanne-Claude, Christo-Javacheff, President). The entire temporary project cost $ 26 million to complete.
On October 9, 1991, 960 people gathered in the United States and 920 people in Japan to jointly carry out the installation "The Umbrellas". Every umbrella was 6 meters tall and had a diameter of 8.66 meters. Dismantling began on October 27, 1991, and the terrain on which they stood was restored and most of the 3,100 umbrellas could be recycled. The fact that the project was carried out in Japan and in the USA at the same time was to point out the similarities and differences in the way of life and use of the land in the respective valleys.
Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s website states the following: ”In the precious and limited space of Japan, the umbrellas were positioned intimately, close together and sometimes following the geometry of the rice fields. In the luxuriant vegetation enriched by water year round, the umbrellas were blue. In the California vastness of uncultivated grazing land, the configuration of the umbrellas was whimsical and spreading in every direction. The brown hills are covered by blond grass. In that dry landscape, the umbrellas were yellow.”
More about Christo & Jeanne-Claude
Christ (Born as Christ Vladimirov Javacheff), was a Bulgarian artist and Jeanne-Claude (born Jeanne-Claude Denat de Guillebon), were an artist married couple. Javacheff underwent his studies between 1953 and 56 at the Academy in Sofia, whereafter he continued his tuition in Wien. Yet, after only on term, the artist moved to Paris in 1958, where he lived stateless, having fled Bulgaria and lost his citizenship. He made a living by painting portraits, which he thought equated to prostitution. In 1958 he met his future wife, Jeanne-Claude and together they created “environmental art”. They famously "wrapped" the Reichstag in Berlin, the Pont Neuf in Paris, the 39 km long Running Fence in California, and The Gates in New York's Central Park. They deny that their exists any deeper meaning in their art beyond its aesthetic effect. Their intent was simply to create a different way of experiencing familiar "landscapes." None of their artworks were preserved, only the preparatory drawings and collages, which have given their art a legendary status. Projects were signed only "Christo" until 1994, when works from 1961 onward were also referred to as created by "Christo and Jeanne-Claude." Jeanne-Claude was born in Casablanca. She was educated in France and Switzerland and graduated in Latin and philosophy in 1952 from the University of Tunis. Jeanne-Claude passed away in 2009.
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