Monday, April 28, 2014

Mesmerized By Chihuly

 I've never been one who
has wanted to run away to the circus.
But, if ever I was tempted to drop everything
and join a group of artisans
it would be 
Chihuly
 We were invited by our friends
The Hollands
for a delightful evening
at the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix
to view the 
Chihuly Exhibit
 Mesmerized is the only word to explain my experience.
Winding paths of Desert Flora
that included 
bursts of color
in the most unexpected places.
Dale Chihuly 
known for his large scale glass sculptures
is credited with revolutionizing the
Studio Glass movement.
Original
Brilliant
I find his life to be as interesting as his creations.
 Chihuly's Exhibits 
can be quite massive in size.
A very prolific artist with
permanent collections through out the world.
 We arrived at the Botanical Gardens right before the sun went down
and were able to walk the desert paths
while still bathed in natural light.
 Citron and Yellow Fiori
Taking pictures of Chihuly's work is somewhat like
trying to capture the Grand Canyon.
The  camera just cannot embrace
the scale and scope of this experience.
 Absence of color
gives an eerie image of ghosts in the forest.
Some Chihuly creations
are taller than the tallest Saguaros
 While others are as simple
as Red Reeds
 You can even see interwoven sparks of color
surrounding the Garden Restaurants.
are impressive in and of themselves.
I learned that there are over 2,000 species of cacti
all of which are native to the America's.
 As the sun dropped closer to the horizon
the glass began to light
bringing crisper perception
to the hillsides and trails.
 Chihuly Reeds in the forefront.
Camelback Mountain in the distance.
 Glass gives images of fireballs
 Or underwater sea creatures
Chihuly In The Garden
runs through May 18th.
If you live in the area 
or will be nearby in the next few weeks
I highly recommend
placing this on your must do list.
You will never be the same.

10 comments:

Kate C said...

Oh I got to see his exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston a few years back....just amazing! Can't imagine how cool it would be to see an outdoor exhibit! Thanks for sharing!

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

how amazingly beautiful - we saw one of his pieces at the Clinton Presidential library that is on permanent display there as it was a gift to them - wonderful work and to see this on the desert would be amazing.

Me and My Stitches said...

His work is amazing - there is a piece at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester that I've admired. How fun for you to see so many of his pieces.

Needled Mom said...

His work blows me away. I saw one of his shows in Atlanta and it was incredible.

Sara said...

Amazing art and you did a super job with the photos. I've seen a couple of his pieces in public buildings but this display in the desert is just awe inspiring.

em's scrapbag said...

That is so cool. I can't wait for my youngest son to get home and show him. He's going to love it!!!!

Lynette said...

Oh, wow!! what a fantastic outing, and so nice of you to share with us. I would love so much to see that myself.

Sherrill said...

Isn't is fabulous?!! We had the Chihuly here at the Dallas Botanical Gardens and a friend and I went TWICE! Many of yours were familiar but some were different. The boat we had here contained different glass pieces. AMAZING!!

Dolores said...

Thank you very much for these photos. My spirit has been renewed.

fiberchick said...

His work is mind blowing and all the exhibitions of his work are so different. Thank you so much for sharing!