Why there were huge clouds of smoke over Golden Gate Park Saturday

Massive clouds of non-toxic smoke erupted over Golden Gate Park's Music Concourse Saturday evening, sending plumes of color high into the sky that wafted as far as the Ferris wheel.

The huge undertaking was created by 82-year-old artist Judy Chicago, whose retrospective is on view at the de Young Museum until Jan. 9. Titled "Forever de Young," Chicago has been planning the piece for two years, but she's been mixing color in the air since the 1960s. "Forever de Young" serves as one of the biggest pieces the artist has ever made. 

Hundreds, young and old, gathered in front of the de Young to witness the unveiling of the piece. They stood with their phones ready and their masks on, unsure of what to expect from the giant scaffolding before them.

"The artist and the environment become collaborators in a somewhat unpredictable experience," said Claudia Schmuckli, curator-in-charge of contemporary art and programming of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, in a speech before the performance.

Chicago slightly prepared the crowd for what they were about to experience in a pre-recorded speech. Chicago herself, purple hair gleaming, was also in attendance Saturday night, and fans and paparazzi trailed her like the true art world star she has become. 

"What you will see is a slow, multi-stage unveiling and unfurling of color, which will be mixed in the air," she said. 

According to the performance notes, the piece sits in a long line of other such smoke-based performances, which Chicago calls "Atmospheres." "Chicago's engagements with the landscape offered a vision for the future, which was ephemeral, bright, and distinctly feminine," the notes read. 

After remarks, the crowd waited in anticipation for the spectacle to begin, which it did at 6:45 p.m. on the dot. A series of red flares illuminated the scaffolding before huge smoke clouds began emerging, mixing their pinks, purples and blues with the clear sky above. 

Within minutes, especially to the right of the scaffolding, the wind carried the smoke over the crowd, as well as its distinct smell of sulfur. The smoke obscured the sunlight, darkening the sky, and drifted over bystanders like a crashing wave to which numerous participants succinctly exclaimed, "Whoa!" Nearly everyone held their cell phones aloft, eager to capture the spectacular scene. 

"It smells like a barbecue just happened," one child in the crowd remarked. 

"It's good we're all wearing face masks," another man said. 

One woman referred to it as a "giant campfire." 

Audience reactions were mixed. Amira Budman, 4, who spoke between fistfuls of blackberries, said the experience was "scary."

"I did not like it. I was crying so much," she said. "I wasn't scared, I just hated the smoke." 

"It was foggy," said Inessa Bloom, 7. 

Even some adults felt slightly disconcerted. Brent Couchman, a graphic designer, said, "It was cool, but we didn't know we were going to be in it, which was kind of interesting... You kind of felt like you were in this wonderful, part-toxic experience." 

He said the big white clouds in the beginning reminded him of footage of 9/11. 

"It was spooky," he said.

Ginerva Held, an artist, said the experience reminded her of California's wildfire season.

"At first, having gone through the wildfires, it was a little disconcerting, the smoke in your face," she said. "But then, getting to see when the smoke disappeared and you got these color combinations... well, I imagine the drone had the best view."

She noted that it was "exciting to be a part of such an experience," especially one that celebrates the long-underappreciated and under-recognized Chicago.

"It's great to celebrate a female artist with other San Franciscans," Held said. "It's nice we can all be out here and enjoy a public performance together."

"Judy Chicago: A Retrospective" is on view at the de Young until Jan. 9.