Chihuly ESSAY

8/7/2019 Chihuly ESSAY

1/10

Luke Flint: 222070 3D Contemporary Design Craft Contextual studies

The following document is for the attention ofEdPoxon

Introduction

Dale Chihuly is a phenomenon in his own right, and a lot is owed to him for hiscontribution, his importance as a contemporary glass artist is unassailable. Hiswork is extremely popular with the general public. Chihuly is one of the betterknown characters in the world of contemporary glass. He has exhibited

extensively throughout the United States as well as internationally. In recentyears Chihuly has had significant exhibitions in Venice, Jerusalem, Iceland and Japan. His work can be found in almost 200 galleries around the globe.


2/10


Originally known for his glass vessels and small scale work, he has built up anincredible reputation and is now famously known for his enormous glassinstallations.

Chihuly realised long ago at university that if he where to assemble of group ofglass blowers then it would be possible to make enormous glass installationsmade up of many different pieces, when he did finally collaborate with otherglass blowers the results were outstanding. It's this way of working that he isrespected for and in a sense he has managed to completely change the way

people look at glass work,before Chihuly developed thisway of working, glass workswould have been consideredto be small precious objectstraditionally associated withthe decorative arts, Chihulyhas managed to smashthrough these limitations andhas literally changed thedefinition of glass. He hasfound ways off creatingenormous environmentalhappenings and it's for thisreason that his work is seen as

a form of sculpture. Chihuly is well known for his love of creating monumental

pieces of sculpture, each of his instillations are made from hundreds of handblown pieces, which have to be carefully assembled on site. Many of Chihuly'sglass instillations are set outdoors for example his exhibition Chihuly overVenice were he suspended his work above the water ways in Venice and hadpieces floating on the water. He's also done many other outdoor exhibitions, intaking his work outside the materials he uses are essentially back in thieroriginal environment.

Early Years

Born in 1941 in a small town called Tacoma of Washington. He is the youngerson of George Chihuly and Viola Magnuson Chihuly. His older brother, GeorgeChihuly, was tragically killed in a Navy training exercise in 1957. This wasclosely followed by the passing of his father just eight months later. With somemuch needed guidance and moral support from his mother, he began to tryand put his losses behind him and started to pursue his first love, he joined anarchitecture and interior design course at the University of Puget Sound. Afterhe completed this course he found himself in a position where he was unable tocontinue his studies due to a lack of funds.


3/10


He decided to travel around Europe and the Middle East. During his travels heworked as a commercial fisherman until he had gained the necessary fundsrequired to further his education at the University of Washington. In 1965,Chihuly received a B.A in interior design and it was then that he crossed paths

with textile artistJack Lenor Larsen(b. 1927) who aswell as Chihulywould proceed tobecome three ofthe fourtwentieth centuryartists to havesolo exhibitionsat the Louvremuseum in Paris.

The road torecognition

In 1966 he enrolled at the university of Wisconsin at Madison where he studiedunder the massively influential Harvey Littleton (b. 1922) the founder of thevery first glass program held at an American institution. After receiving an M.S.in sculpture in 1967, he enrolled on a course at the Rhode Island School of

Design (R.I.S.D) which he completed, earning him a M.F.A in sculpture. Laterthat year he was presented with a Fullbright Fellowship and awarded a TiffanyFoundation grant, I find it ironic that he should be awarded a Tiffany Foundationgrant for within the next 25-30 years his contribution to his field andachievements in glass would revive a popularize the medium in a very similarway that Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933) did in the late nineteenth century.

In 1968 he worked at the prestigious Venni studio on the island of Murano, itssafe to say that this exposure to Italian culture had a profound influence on hisfuture work, the school of Impressionists, the Macchiaoli, explored spots ofcolour in their work and glass artists have continued this age old way of

working with multi-dimensional and multi-coloured pieces of glass within theirwork. A couple of highly influential figures to Chihuly are Lino Tagliapietra (b.1934) and Italo Scanga (1932-2001) both have with out a doubt beensubstantial driving forces in his creative world. After his travels he returned tothe States to establish a glass department at the R.I.S.D, this was the startingpoint of his 15-year teaching career.

Founding of Pilchuck

In 1971, Chihuly enlisted the help of fellow artists and John and Anne GouldHauberg in order to establish the Pilchuck Glass School, unbeknown to him itwould eventually manifest into the leading institution of its kind. The PilchuckGlass School draws students and important artists-in-residence from all overthe world.


4/10


At Pilchuck and R.I.S.D., he created the initial environmental works, 20,000Pounds of Ice and Neon as well as Glass Forest I and Glass Forest II (with artist James Carpenter). This was an important milestone in his career as thesecreations would prefigure later works for which he would gain international

recognition and fame.

Tragedy and triumph

1976 marked a turning point in his career as he dealt with tragedy and triumphin his personal and professional life. While visiting England Chihuly wasinvolved in a serious head on auto-mobile accident in which he flew throughthe windscreen, the accident caused numerous injuries including severe cuts to

his face and the loss of sight in his left eye. Shortly after recovering from theterrible accident he dislocated a shoulder in a body surfing accident. No longerable to hold a glass blowing pipe, and having impaired depth perception,Chihuly brought in a team of glass blowers to Create the work as he directed.

Chihuly explained the change in 2006 interview, saying Once I stepped back Iliked the view and pointing out that it allowed him to see the work from moreperspectives and enabled him to anticipate problems faster. Chihuly describeshis new role as More of a choreographer than dancer, more director thanactor. Chihuly now lives and works in his 25,000 square-foot studio nicknamed

the Boathouse for its former use on Lake Union.

In 2006 Chihuly filed a lawsuit against a glass blower named Robert Kaindl,


5/10


whom he accused of copying his work. Chihuhly was unsuccessful, the glassblower federation argued that Chihuly's designs feature basic shapes thereforeany novice would be able to create the spiral glass which feature in many of hiscompositions, the lawsuit was thrown out and settled out of court.

When the MetropolitanMuseum of Art New Yorkacquired three of his piecesfrom the Navajo Blanketseries his spirits where verymuch lifted.. The highlyinfluential curator, HenryGeldzahler (1935-1994)became a supporter andgood friend of his, openingdoors and to far-sightedcollectors and other majorinstitutions. It wasn't longbefore he won a high-profileinstillation at the RainbowRoom, that Geldzahler hadrecommended him for, thiswas completed in 1988 andwas an enormous success.

The next few years broughtyet more promisingpartnerships as Chihulybegan working with the

likes of Benjamin Moore and particularly William Morris who would provide thierexpertise in the physical fabrication of his creations which was necessary dueto limitations posed by his poor health and impaired eye sight. In 1978 he wasgiven a solo exhibition at the Smithsonian Institutes Renwick Gallery inWashington D.C. This was hugely important and marked the beginning ofnumerous successful exhibitions in major institutions to which critics and thepublic responded enthusiastically to his luminous creations.

HERE!!!! editInternational influences

After his 1987 marriage to Sylvia Peto (they divorced in 1991), his honeymoonin Venice brought exposure to traditional Venetian glass creations madebetween the two World Wars. With assistance from his friend Lino Tagliapietra,he embarked on his Venetian series, fabricating objects inspired by Art Decodesigns. These simple forms gradually gave way to objects and vesselsadorned with an excessive embellishment that are almost manic in movement,form, and colour. These display very little, if any restraint and are among themost challenging objects of his creations..

The Ikebana series followed with the emphasis drawn from Japans traditional


6/10


art of floral arrangement. These are a somewhat subdued variation on theVenetian series.

In stark contrast, he began theFloats series in 1991 aftervisiting Niijima, Japan, andseeing the vibrant floats of theirfishing nets and vessels. Forthese, he pushes the scale ofthe pieces, making them intoimposing, yet sedate sphericalglobes that stand individually orin massed groups. They have amysterious quality that perhaps

is elevated by their larger size,sometimes reaching four ormore feet in diameter, anuncommon relationship tohuman scale.

During the time of the Float creations, he began working on his next series of

externally lighted Chandeliers. Unlike their traditional utilitarian counterparts,no matter how decorative, Chihulys chandelier sculptures rely on a grouping ofglass components massed together into a tornado-like frenzy of shapes,colours, and converging forms. They diametrically oppose tradition bysometimes standing free-form from a floor or by floating in a commandingnatural or man-made space upheld by a supporting armature.

When the new Seattle Art Museum opened in 1992, the exhibition Dale Chihuly:Installations 1964-1992 drew enormous crowds before travelling to other cities,where it was equally successful.

Spots and Sea forms

If you want to understandChihulys work, I believe it helpsto examine the series as theyprogressed. Some of the mostnoteworthy include the Seaforms, which he began in 1980. These works use his earlier

basket series as a starting pointand evolve into some of themost extraordinarily delicate


7/10


forms ever created in the medium. The organically inspired shapes are drawnfrom the oceans plant and sea life and they utilize scalloped edges, and ribbedcurves suggesting slow, underwater movement. Their colours range from themisty opalescence found in coastal atmospheres to the vivid and vibrant

primary colours that occur in the inhabitants of many of the regions tide poolsand shores.

In a variation on these forms, he created the Macchia series, derived from theItalian word for spots. These works generally have a vibrant interior of solidcolour while the exterior is allowed free rein in the use of a dazzling array ofdappled hues allowing for a translucent, yet painterly effect. These works aregenerally his most recognizable forms, those for which he would become bestknown.

A Most Public Figure

He has remained faithful to the Northwest through his support of numerouscharities, art museums, and public television.

Never shying away from the media or publicity, Chihuly has been frank abouthis personal life as well. His relationship with Leslie Jackson has apparentlyproven to be an important area of stability and support in his life. Their unionhas produced a son, Jackson Viola Chihuly.

His public battle with depression and bi-polar disorder has been a brave

acknowledgement that will certainly assist and inspire others dealing with thesame conditions.

In any example of people who define the American Dream, they surely wouldhave to include the life of Dale Chihuly. This unique and successful man defiedthe stereotype of the starving artist and has opened the door for others tofollow.

His home town of Tacoma, Washington, has been the recipient of much of hisgenerosity. His name and his art have brought both pride and renown to thestruggling city. His Bridge of Glass, a 500-foot pedestrian walkway spanning thestates free way entrance to Tacoma, presents a permanent installation of his

work that welcomes locals and visitors alike.

Chihuly is noted for having done more than anyone else to bring the fine art ofglass to the public eye, demonstrating his talents in glass blowing and hisinnovation in creating pieces of art that are almost hard to believe when gazingupon them. His passion for colour and the sheer scope of each piece defieslogic. Chihuly has been working with glass for over forty years now and in thattime he has explored glass in a wide range of ways, exploiting the glassiness ofglass stretching its natural properties such as transparency and colour to newlimits not seen before. He once said I can't understand it when people say

they don't like a particular colour. How on earth can you not like a colour?(Chihuly, D see quote reference 2). In some ways chihuly's work is a neutralground where art and nature can coexist in perfect harmony. He somehow


8/10


manages to make his glass work look totally at home when he exhibitsoutdoors.

Chihuly has often exhibited his work in natural environments and the organicaesthetics of his glass sculptures stimulate an interesting dialogue between thenatural and the man-made. And perhaps it's his previous training in interiordesign that has provided him with inbuilt abilities to work with architecture asoppose to against it, when creating his enormous instillations that are oftensuspended from ceilings in galleries. I think its this way of working that hasmade him the phenomenon he is today. Chihuly was reported saying I wantmy work to appear like it came from nature so that if someone found it, theymight think it belonged there..... My forms are made in a very natural way sothey look like they come from nature. They work in a greenhouse and work withplants because they don't really look like the plants that are there but they

compliment the plants that are there.

the glass sculptures of Dale Chihuly are characteristically organic and free-form, taking inspiration from the diversity of shape and colour present in thenatural world, he lends shapes and colours from natural forms such as oceanlife, plants and flowers. He also uses natural elements for inspiration such aswater, fire and the sun (pictured in fig8 is his instillation 'temple of the sun'.)it's believed that he is heavily inspired by flowers because of his mother'spassion for them when he was younger. As Chihuly's main source of inspirationis nature it will be interesting to see how his work evolves and transmutes inrelation to the seasonal changes of the planet, trees and landscape that inspire

him. I want my work to appear like it came from nature (Chihuly, D. seequote reference 2). I think Chihuly certainly achieves this; a good example ispictured below in fig7.

Evidently Chihuly's working techniques are largely based on those used intraditional Venetian glass blowing, he has also developed many of his owntechniques which allow him to change the surface of glass by incorporating ribsand patterns fused in the glass, this not only enhances the aesthetics of hiswork but it also allows the glass to be blown much thinner than before as theribs help structurally reinforce the glass. This means he can produce far thinner

far more elegant shapes and forms.

When looking at what inspires Chihuly I think it's important to take into accountthe life he has lived, from an early age he was exposed to trauma when hisbrother and father passed away. I feel that all this could have influencedChihuly's use of vibrant colours, almost as though he dealing with this pain byexpressing himself with such bold, enormous and colourful pieces. I believethat Chihuly has been so successful because of his ability to surprise hisaudience with his work, the sheer scope of his instillations are like no otherglass work to date, this means he has brought the potential beauty of glass farcloser to the public eye.

His construction methods are unique and totally original. But ultimately I feelit's his creativeness and inventiveness that has gained him his place in history.


9/10


In researching and accessing the work of Dale Chihuly I have found that he isone of the most respected glass artists to date, he is responsible for stretchingthe boundaries and limitations of glass work. If it wasn't for the work Chihulythere would be no large scale glass instillations, so in this respect he has

brought a completely new aspect to glass work. I find his work a real inspirationas I am very interested in glass and I really appreciate the contrast in coloursshapes and size that is present in his work.

Bibliography

Books1. Allen, Todd. (2005)' Chihuly at the Royal botanical gardens Kew.' portland

Press: Essex.2. Chihuly, Dale. (2008)' Chihuly 365 days.' Harry N. Abrams Ltd:United

States.3. Chihuly, Dale. (2000)' Chihuly projects,'Harry N. Abrams Ltd: United

States.4. Hawkins, Jenifer. (2001)' Chihuly at the V&A.' Portland Press Washington.

Websites

1. http://www.chihuly.com/ (13:00 2nd August)2. http://www.dianefarrisgallery.com/artist/chihuly/index.html (12:30, 4th

August)3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/dale_chihuly (21:30, 5th August4. http://www.holstengalleries.com/artists/chihuly.html (12:50 7th August)5. http://improveyourreg.blogspot.com/2009/03/chihuly-inspiration.html6. http://kew.org/chihuly/index.html7. http://samnorth.com/dalechihuly.html (11:50, 9th August)8. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/3335457/Chihuly-madly-

tropical.html9. http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/chihuly/ (20:30, 11th August)10. http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/chihuly_dale.html11. http://www.cheekwood.org/Art/Chihuly_at_Cheekwood.aspx

12. http://www.salk.edu/chihuly/13. http://www.artnet.com/artist/3979/dale-chihuly.html14. http://www.theprudentcollector.com/dale_chihuly.html

Imageshttp://seattletimes.nwsource.com/news/local/chihuly/

http://www.seattle.gov/economicdevelopment/thrives/Thrives02.htm

http://www.chihuly.com/macchia/Art/CdMac055_Pilchuck83_XB.html

http://naghoospress.ir/images/news.php?page=dale+chihuly&check=01dd59aa9bc32710e922ed6990bdf791
http://www.chihuly.com/http://www.dianefarrisgallery.com/artist/chihuly/index.htmlhttp://www.dianefarrisgallery.com/artist/chihuly/index.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/dale_chihulyhttp://www.holstengalleries.com/artists/chihulyhtmlhttp://www.holstengalleries.com/artists/chihulyhtmlhttp://improveyourreg.blogspot.com/2009/03/chihuly-inspiration.htmlhttp://improveyourreg.blogspot.com/2009/03/chihuly-inspiration.htmlhttp://kew.org/chihuly/index.htmlhttp://kew.org/chihuly/index.htmlhttp://samnorth.com/dalechihuly.htmlhttp://samnorth.com/dalechihuly.htmlhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/3335457/Chihuly-madly-tropical.htmlhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/3335457/Chihuly-madly-tropical.htmlhttp://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/chihuly/http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/chihuly_dale.htmlhttp://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/chihuly_dale.htmlhttp://www.cheekwood.org/Art/Chihuly_at_Cheekwood.aspxhttp://www.salk.edu/chihuly/http://www.artnet.com/artist/3979/dale-chihuly.htmlhttp://www.artnet.com/artist/3979/dale-chihuly.htmlhttp://www.theprudentcollector.com/dale_chihuly.htmlhttp://www.theprudentcollector.com/dale_chihuly.htmlhttp://seattletimes.nwsource.com/news/local/chihuly/http://www.seattle.gov/economicdevelopment/thrives/Thrives02.htmhttp://www.chihuly.com/macchia/Art/CdMac055_Pilchuck83_XB.htmlhttp://naghoospress.ir/images/news.php?page=dale+chihuly&check=01dd59aa9bc32710e922ed6990bdf791http://naghoospress.ir/images/news.php?page=dale+chihuly&check=01dd59aa9bc32710e922ed6990bdf791http://www.chihuly.com/http://www.dianefarrisgallery.com/artist/chihuly/index.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/dale_chihulyhttp://www.holstengalleries.com/artists/chihulyhtmlhttp://improveyourreg.blogspot.com/2009/03/chihuly-inspiration.htmlhttp://kew.org/chihuly/index.htmlhttp://samnorth.com/dalechihuly.htmlhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/3335457/Chihuly-madly-tropical.htmlhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/3335457/Chihuly-madly-tropical.htmlhttp://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/chihuly/http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/chihuly_dale.htmlhttp://www.cheekwood.org/Art/Chihuly_at_Cheekwood.aspxhttp://www.salk.edu/chihuly/http://www.artnet.com/artist/3979/dale-chihuly.htmlhttp://www.theprudentcollector.com/dale_chihuly.htmlhttp://seattletimes.nwsource.com/news/local/chihuly/http://www.seattle.gov/economicdevelopment/thrives/Thrives02.htmhttp://www.chihuly.com/macchia/Art/CdMac055_Pilchuck83_XB.htmlhttp://naghoospress.ir/images/news.php?page=dale+chihuly&check=01dd59aa9bc32710e922ed6990bdf791http://naghoospress.ir/images/news.php?page=dale+chihuly&check=01dd59aa9bc32710e922ed6990bdf791


10/10


Quotes

1. http://www.design_technology.org/chihuly.htm2. http://www.epinions.com/content_4722303108
http://www.epinions.com/content_4722303108http://www.epinions.com/content_4722303108

Documents

Chihuly ESSAY