Exquisitely beautiful glass work

LOVE Chihuly.

I know people who blow glass, I have seen products of years and years of patient practice. Nothing compares to this guy's stuff.

pretty good fer a one eyed partially sighted dude. I think he had a terrible accident years back that almost cost him his sight. I was at the Chihuly show 2 years ago at the Renwick. Boy , his suff is like he had
manipulated snowflakes, its that delicate.

id like to see a side by side show of his work and the old "mad potter of Biloxi" George ohr. Chihulies work has gotta pay homage to Ohr

I have to say that I am not enchanted, can't quite say why.
Me the mad italophile, I am not enchanted much by murano glass either. Some of it, yes. I realize I am in a small minority, in fact I don't know anybody else who has ever heard of Chiluly who doesn't love the work.

well, I'd look up this guy Ohr, but I can only get online with a2k for some reason....

Osso, you've looked at all his stuff and still aren't at least a little enchanted? Hmmmmm

I've seen it in person with PaL, and have read articles ... at least a decade ago... pro and con.

I think I have a framework in my brain for swedish crystal (or somesuch, not that I know so much about that) in my mind, but that doesn't entirely explain my unenchantment, since I often like effulgent play in materials.
I guess I don't actually dislike it, but I am not wild about it like vee (virtually everybody else).

truth
Osso, I feel the same. The work is wonderfully crafted and delightful to see, but it doesn't ring my aesthetic bell as a work of great art should--for me.

hmmmm...

I was in a restaurant the other day a saw two of his gorgegous chandeliers hanging. I have you to thank for introducing me to him and being able to recognize his work. Thanks, k.

hey, no problem. I haven't yet laid eyes on a piece of his work in person (that I know of).

I love most of the Chihuly series, especially the seaforms. He designs & directs a glass team, but quit doing gaffer work more than 25 years ago. Besides the loss of vision from an auto accident in London, he suffered an injury to his back from surfing and could no longer handle the blowpipe. He has a talented group of people who work with him and his Pilchuck School of Glass is an amazing folksy place -- way up in the foothills north of Seattle.

He's a local boy who made good and is rightfully celebrated around here. The colors and variety of shapes in the Milli Fiori installation were totally amazing. I also loved the way he tossed those large blue glass tubes into the pond at Pilchuck -- it was in a video I saw about his work. My very favorite Chihuly installation was done at the Tacoma Dome... he had installed neon lights in huge chunks of ice. Over the course of the weekend the ice slowly melted in amazing shapes, partly, I think from the heat of the lights and all in full color from the neon lights. That's the best art installation I've ever seen... made even better because it was so ephemeral and nobody knew for sure how it would turn out. I went three times over the weekend to watch the changes.

they did an article about George ohr in last months smithsonian. I lived in nawlins years ago and we bought a lot of his work and Newcomb college work. we got it cheap and, like the dumb collector who picks up on stuff for themselves, we lucked out , cuz his work is really hard to buy now. Imagine Dale chihulys work in pottery.

Truth is stranger than fiction... you couldn't make up a name like Tchoutacabouffa River. (I'm not even sure how to pronounce it -- Choot uh k'boof a?), but George Ohr looks amazing.




Next time you come through the Pacific NW, littlek, try to find time for Tacoma's Bridge of Glass.

Totally different kind of art, but you've seen the glass flowers at Harvard, 'k?

Well, l'k, you know I love Chihuly. I posted a bunch of stuff about his work after Setanta and I went to see his exhibition at the Conservatory in Columbus. I've got a card from the exhibition posted in my hole here at work.

Being in a space he's designed for - wow - overwhelming. The whole physical oomph of it. Wonderful!

Piffka - looks vera cool.

SP, yes indeedy, but not since they cleaned them up and renovated the room.

Beth - I must be on a mailing list, I got an email gallery link.

There is a Chihuly exhibit here in Orlando and a companion exhibit in St. Petersburg. Guess I'd better go see it for myself.

http://chihulyflorida.com/

Unless I am remembering wrong, they are bringing in a piano done in Chihuly glass this week. That ought to be something to see.

Greyfan - and it'd be something to HEAR as well! I wonder what the glass would do to the sound of a piano.

Gus - ain't it grand??!