Umbrellas in the Sunshine

More than a decade ago an artist named Christo came forth with the preposterous idea of building a fence of white cloth across two counties of Northern California. After considerable controversy, Christo won approval for his crazy project and the temporary fence was erected. To the surprise of many skeptics, Christo’s fence proved to be a thing of simple beauty and delight. Undulating here and there, the fence gave a new dimension to the landscape. Ultimately the cloth was removed and the hills reverted unharmed to their natural state.

With equal success, Christo has draped the Pont Neuf in Paris, a Roman wall in Italy and 11 islands off Miami.

Now the Bulgarian native has an intriguing new scheme: to position 3,000 giant umbrellas in two valleys, one in Japan and one in the area of Wheeler Ridge and Gorman 60 miles north of Los Angeles. To be completed by the autumn of 1990 at a cost of $8 million, the project would be in place for about three weeks. Yellow umbrellas 18 feet high and 24 feet in diameter would be scattered over a 16-mile stretch in Kern and Los Angeles counties in California.

The nearly translucent umbrellas would provide the effect of “luminous, shimmering flowers,” Christo said. “In California, during the dry season, the grass will be burned golden and the umbrellas will be placed more capriciously, whimsically . . . will almost disappear behind the golden hills.”

Christo described his project as a symphony in two parts. The California movement no doubt would be adagio --considering the warm, hazy days of autumn. This area should welcome Christo back to California, facilitate the planting of his shimmering flowers and look forward to a captivating harvest in the fall of 1990.