Recently, I visited the Desert Botanical Gardens where there was an exhibit of Chihuly glass art. I have always enjoyed his work despite the controversy. He has been criticized because people say he doesn't do this art. Well, excuuuuse me! He doesn't actually now, but he used to. He permanently injured one of his eyes doing his work, so now he has apprentices who make the art glass acccording to his designs and instructions. Personally, I prefer seeing his work inside having seen installations at the Phoenix Art Museum several years ago. At that time, his drawings and paintings for making the glass was also on exhibit and they were as vibrant and beautiful as the glass.
The exhibit at the desert garden was different. Except for a few pieces, I loved it. My brother and his wife also went. My brother had heard of another controversy where he displayed floating glass bubbles in a lake or a pond, then destroyed the work in the water when the city couldn't buy his work. I looked all over the internet for this but could find nothing. Unless I see that this is true, I think it's a hoax.
In spite of these controversies, I love his work. This is near the entrance.
I particularly love the boat in the desert…would love to have this in my yard.
Not to be outdone, one of Arizona's giant yucca plants. This one is about 10 feet tall or more. 
This is one that, while interesting, I didn't really care for. Sorry, but it reminds me of giant inflated condoms. 
Last, but not least, there were several fountains at the gardens. This one, in particular, I would like to have in my yard. Three birds came to get a drink just as I took the photo. 
See more photos of my time at the Desert Botanical Gardens here.
A YouTube video with Dale Chihuly speaking about his art and showing several different video clips of his exhibitions. This is over an hour long but worth it.
thesnakeandiandthebutterfly 
That boat looks great :up:I like how all of the plants look like there. Something similar to what I have seen in Botanical Garden in Vienna, Austria last year :yes:http://files.myopera.com/gdare/albums/577277/Botanical%20garden_Belvedere.jpg
WOW, I love glass art. Looking forward to your album. 🙂
You are welcome Pam, was it on this site? http://www.chihuly.com/
I think it was Carol. I'm going to check YouTube later to see if there is a video and will include it if I find one. I have to go work on painting flowers on a playhouse now.
There is alot to choose from:http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=Chihuly+glass+art&aq=f
Have fun. 🙂
Carol, thanks. I love glass art too. I watched a video on his website on a piece being made but my pc froze right in the middle of it. That's why I didn't provide a link to it. Darko, oooooh thanks for that photo. Beautiful. I love cactus but won't have it in my backyard because of the dogs. Would love to have the front all desert landscape. Will have that if I ever get a different house. It makes sense because we get so little rain.
Glass, my lord, so fragile. I almost looks as if would break in a stiff wind. Impressive.Rodin didn't do most of what we think of as "Rodin" today either. He had this little factory going. "would love to have this in my yard."Hey, I can give you the names of a couple of guys…:p
Actually I meant Chihuly's boat. :p
Rodin and a few other artists had their little factories.Guys to build me a boat? :p 😆 I bet I could find an unused canoe somewhere. Transporting it to my house and getting it into my backyard might be a problem though. I'd need those two guys again.
I can't either Carol but I googled spathe and do remember seeing something like that before.
Darn, I can't see the image Linda, just the words Image.
Me too Allan. I may go back again after the sun has gone down. It would be so cool to see these lit up at night. The exhibit ends May 31 so I better hurry.
I so much like the flames on the first photo!
I love art glass Pam. Would love to see these botanical gardens. And the white ones? I think they are gorgeous. They are a spathe, which is the flower on plants like Spathyphyllum or peace lily. I also love Fenton art glass. And Blenko. Here is a picture of the white spathes on the Peace Lily.
Must be an My Opera bug again. I put a screenshot from my files on here to Cois's blog, one worked the other didn't.
Now I see the similarity but I think they should have opened the white pods up or something. I'll have to look up Fenton and Blenko. I have a sister-in-law who collects glass….I'm thinking it's Fenton.
Thanks for finding me all the YT videos Carol. I've added a really long one but it's really good and shows clips of other exhibitions and him answering questions from the audience.
Yes, image has disappeared since I first put it up there. That happens here more often than I like. Do not know what causes it. Will see if I can find another image.Changed my mind. Will just put link here so can see what a spath flower looks like. http://www.plant-care.com/peace-lily-spathiphyllum.html
Linda…surprise! Now the image is there. Goofy. Carlos, I watched a couple of videos and all the glass artists work by his paintings, drawings and instructions while he's there. Whatever the case, I do like most of his work. Yeah, the white ones are growing on me. Maybe if they'd been a different color I wouldn't have had that first reaction. When I saw his work at the Phoenix Art Museum, one of the favorite parts was a darkened hallway totally surround by glass art and lights shining through. Very cool to walk through it.
I guess him having his apprentices / protégés create the Art as per his designs, instructions and methods would be equivalent to those Ross Painting Schools whereby it wasn't actually Ross himself teaching everyone. The various Instructors learned, used and taught utilizing Ross' style.:lol: @ the giant inflated condoms.
Wow, that is weird. The image was back when I scrolled back up after last comment. WTheck?
It's weird too that I still don't see it. Oh well….I read on the home page or community page that Opera will be down on Wed. at 10 am to fix bugs. We shall see.
awwwwwwwwwww I can just imagine the night ones! "another one that was very tall and all yellow"I was shy to add it too :p but since you mentioned it here it is :
this is one of my favorites too!
Pam,this is wonderful!I am so glad you had a chance to visit to the Desert B/Garden!Dale is amazing , such a disciplined and demanding artist!I love the contrast of the orange/red with the surrounding in the top picture! I hope you visit many more similar events and thanks for sharing with us 🙂
Thanks Angeliki. Yes, I liked that one too plus another one that was very tall and all yellow. There were a few pieces we didn't see. The three of us had had enough of the heat after about an hour of walking around. I do so want to go again at night before the end of the exhibition May 31. I think the night photos would be very cool.
I am going to have to google this guy and his art. I love all these glass sculptures. Beautiful and interesting.
I agree Linda. I've seen his work three times now.
Now the image is gone again. Odd.
Isn't that nuts? Have no idea what's going on.
Yes it is. Odd bug I guess.
Great post! He doesn´t do his art? Well, for me the idea also counts (probably even more than the actual realisation)… without it there would be no ART! And if he injured one of his eyes, there´s no other way for him to cretae anything…
Thank you Henar. I too think the idea counts. In the video he talks about the master artisans he had do his designs for exhibitions in other countries. His paintings I saw at the Phoenix Art Museum that show his ideas and colors are really beautiful. The larger pieces are all small, separate pieces of glass put together. This was something I was curious about because I couldn't figure out how they were made. The video shows them being put together and how certain pieces were made with the tools of the trade.
:up: beautiful and thank you for this post 😉
Thanks Leazz. Glad you enjoyed it.
😉
Hi Pam, great photos!! Hope the week is going well for you. It strated snowing here again. I uploaded an album of Dale Chihuly work this morning and thought you would enjoy it. :cofee: http://my.opera.com/Cynthia23/albums/show.dml?id=6387481
Thanks Cynthia. I'm off to see the album. I better hurry because Mia is due to wake up very soon.It just stopped snowing here after a continuous 36 hours. It's supposed to start again too.
Yucky snow :smurf: Keep warm! :coffee: 🙂
very nice. checked out his website. must be very high end pricing, not for this fixed income chick, anyway, but can have anything you want through images! see you got a shot of some of the niiji or whatever balls. those were a nice pic on his site. liking it!
Thanks for your visit Kathy. Yes, very pricey indeed. I'm glad I was able to get some images and see his work in person.