Studio Glass Menagerie

Dale Chihuly is most frequently lauded for revolutionizing the Studio Glass movement, by expanding its original premise of the solitary artist working in a studio environment to encompass the notion of collaborative teams and a division of labor within the creative process. However, Chihuly's contribution extends well beyond the boundaries of both this movement and even the field of glass: his achievements have influenced contemporary art in general. Chihuly's practice of using teams has led to the development of complex, multipart sculptures of dramatic beauty that place him in the leadership role of moving blown glass out of the confines of the small, precious object and into the realm of large-scale contemporary sculpture. In fact, Chihuly deserves credit for establishing the blown-glass form as an accepted vehicle for installation and environmental art, beginning in the late twentieth century and continuing today.

by Davira S. Taragin
Director of Exhibitions and Programs
Racine Art Museum

Dale Chihuly
Shell Pink Basket set with Oxblood Wraps, 1995
9 x 22 x 22"

Chihuly started making Baskets at Pilchuck. He made single Baskets at first, but later began to group the individual elements into nested compositions.*

Dale Chihuly
Palazzo di Lorednana Balboni, 1996
10'7" x 6'6"

Dale Chihuly
Orange Chandelier with Horns and Bulbs, 1997
9 x 5 x 5'

Dale Chihuly
Victoria and Albert Museum Chandelier, 2001
27 x 12 x 12'

Anemones are wall-mounted, tentacle-like clusters that appear to be animated, as if caught in the motion of waves. Chihuly often groups these sculptures in response to a specific environment.*

Dale Chihuly
Persian Chandelier, 2005
94 x 118 x 112"

This series’ title hints at associations with ancient glass styles and reflects the fusion of East and West. Historically, Venice has shown an assimilation of Persian, Byzantine and eastern ideas. When Chihuly worked at the Venini factory in Venice, he became aware of these historical ties and stylistic influences in Venetian art. Persians, with their gently fluted edges, are delicate yet powerful, and their jewel-like colors and sensuous curving forms make them some of Chihuly’s most glorious works.*

Dale Chihuly
Macchia Forest, 2002

Chihuly’s Macchia (pronounced mock’kia) are speckled with colors. Chihuly couldn’t think of what to call this series of works when he began it in 1981, so he called an artist friend, Italo Scanga, and asked what the Italian word for “spotted” (macchia) would be — hence the title. When you look at the Macchia, notice that the interiors and exteriors of the vessels are different colors. Each side is distinct because a layer of white, opaque glass separates them.*

Read about Dale Chihuly and his incredible art: http://www.chihuly.com/



* http://www.childrensmuseum.org/themuseum/fireworks_ofglass/glassforms.htm

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