Dale Chihuly...

Dale Chihuly is an american artist known for his glass works which he was introduced whilst studying interior design at the University of Washington. I like how he has taken a well known craft and turned it into an art. There's something very seductive about glass; the gloss, the colour, the flowing shapes. Like a precious jewel it can be decorative, but Chihuly makes it so much more. From his collection for the V&A Museum a permanent piece is the chandelier that hangs above he reception desk, although  chandeliers have been made  for hundreds of years Chihuly's size, detail and choice of material changes the idea of something that lights up the room because of it's practical source of light, but because of its high gloss surface reflects the light shone onto it.

 

Dale Chihuly at the V&A, V&A Chandelier, 2001(V&A Museum)

Dale Chihuly, The Sun, 2008 (Legion of Honor, San Francisco)

Due to the nature of Chihuly's glass it has a very painterly feel which is demonstrated in his drawings of the objects he creates. I particularly liked his series of chandelier drawings as his free hand paint dripping technique compliments the twist, turns and flicks of the glass.

Site specificity appears to have become very important to some of my work which also works for Dale Chihuly. On his website is says 'Chihuly’s lifelong affinity for glasshouses has grown into a series of exhibitions within botanical settings.' A green house seems to be the perfect setting for Chihuly's work, with overall idea of this large glass form containing colour and beauty, but also how his pieces have a plant-like effect with each parts shape and the wild-ness with which they have been put together.

Dale Chihuly, Thames Skiff, 2005 (Royal Botanic Gardens)

Different to his other works yet creating the same colourful glossy effect as the glass. I like how the use of neon lights as opposed to normal lights create such bright and enjoyable colours, also how if the ice melts it with change the projection of the light so it would literally change in front of your eyes.
The use of ice reminds me of the objects trapped in frozen canal I captured, only instead of holding an object these capture the colour that stain glass produces when light shines through it.

 

Dale Chihuly, 100,000 Pounds of Ice and Neon , 1993