Dale Chihuly

Dale Chihuly is an American glass artist influenced by the glassblowing tradition of Murano. He creates gorgeous pieces of all shapes and sizes, but is best known for his large scale installations. His installations have been features in both indoor and outdoor exhibitions at locations like botanical gardens, museums, and even world renowned hotels and casinos like Atlantis in Paradise Island, Bahamas. The outdoor shows are known to be particularly fascinating because Chihuly’s organic glass pieces usually bear a resemblance to actual living plant forms. With his work, the boundary between art and nature begins to fade. Chihuly has been recognized as one of the world’s premier glass artists and his sculptures can be found in over 150 major museums worldwide.

Temple of the Sun, glass, 1998

While I was vacationing in the Bahamas with my mom a couple years ago I had the pleasure of seeing Chihuly’s work up close and personal in the Atlantis Paradise Island Resort. Of his work that I saw there the piece that still sticks with me the most is Temple of the Sun. I remember being absolutely amazed by how large and voluminous it was! In the casino it sits high up above your head which adds even more to the colossal affect. Meant to resemble the sun, its colors range from a bright yellow to a fiery red. Each individual piece of glass that juts off of the sphere looks like a solar flare reaching out to you.

Temple of the Moon, glass, 1998

Sea Blue and Green Tower, glass, 2004, 182x94x84"