Glass in the Garden: Chihuly at the Dallas Arboretum

Detail from Mexican Hat and Horn Tower

Bruce and I collect art glass, so we couldn’t miss glassblower Dale Chihuly’s exhibit at the Dallas Arboretum (through November 5). @dallasarboretum @chihulystudio The rainy day kept down the crowds, and the gloomy gray clouds made the glass colors pop. My sister and brother-in-law plan to return for “Chihuly Nights,” when lighting illuminates the sculptures from within.

Chihuly’s work appears in over 200 museums (including the SA Museum of Art and the Central Library) and the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Some Dallas pieces were previously displayed, and he designed others specifically for the Arboretum. His masterful use of similar and contrasting colors appeared both in the sculptures themselves and between the glass and the plants.

Chihuly glass features vibrant colors, sinuous shapes, and static sculptures that, oddly, burst with energy. “No other material gives you color like glass does,” said Chihuly.

Reeds in the fog

My sister (heretofore unfamiliar with Chihuly’s work) felt like she had “just walked into a Tim Burton movie.”

Sun

14 feet in diameter, this evoked solar flares for my amateur astronomer brother-in-law.

Reeds

“To create the long, tubular shape of a Reed, one glassblower must be elevated in a mechanical lift while blowing through the pipe to encourage the form to stretch, while another pulls the glass toward the ground.”

Dallas Star

I’m betting someone with A LOT of money will buy this and keep it in Dallas. Chihuly took one icicle shape and repeated it hundreds of times. It looked like a supernova, complete with blast waves.

The flowing water behind these Reeds became part of the sculpture and added an audio element. A very relaxing place.

Float Boat and Carnival Boat

The backdrop of White Rock Lake provided a stunning backdrop.

Beluga Whales

He calls these “Beluga Whales.” I call them “Body Snatchers.” [shudder]

Mirrored Hornets

The spiral and iridescence made this my personal favorite.

The 30-foot Yellow Icicle Tower

 

Persian Pond

In June, a major hail storm rolled through DFW, only weeks after the exhibit opened. So strong are his sculptures and his installations that only this exhibit suffered damage, and only minor at that.

Citron Green and Red Tower

 

C’mon…I dare you to find where the ivy stops and the sculpture begins. I could barely do so, standing right in front of it.

(Quotes from of the Dallas Arboretum visitors guide.)