The Blue Umbrellas

Christo Javacheff (1935-), is a Bulgarian artist, known for his collaboration with French artist Jeanne-Claude Denat (1935-2009). Together, they created some of the most impressively large and ceaselessly clever art installations ever seen, and this collection of rare, lithographic photo prints showcases the breadth and depth of their work.

Offset lithography is a printing technique wherein the image is created from a polymer coating applied to a flexible plastic or metal plate, and transferred onto a flexible rubber sheet before being transferred to the printing surface. This method allows for malleability in the printing elements, to make sure the details are authentically replicated.

This particular print features Christo and Jeanne-Claude's installation "The Blue Umbrellas". In October of 1991, Christo and Jean-Claude constructed an installation in two valleys, one in Japan, north of Tokyo and one in California, north of Los Angeles. 960 yellow umbrellas were stretched along the length of the Californian valley, and 920 blue umbrellas along the valley in Japan. The intention was to demonstrate the similarities and differences of the two valleys and the two countries.