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Dale Chihuly in Conversation with Sims Reed Gallery SRG: Most people are very familiar with your glass sculptures, in particular the spectacular Reflections on Nature exhibition at Kew Gardens last year or the Rotunda Chandelier permanently on display at the V&A Museum. Less is known about your works on paper, which is why we are excited to explore this medium. Tell us more about this process. DC: I started drawing as an interior design student at the University of Washington and continued to explore painting as my approach to art evolved. I used to draw to communicate ideas to my glassblowing team, and over time, painting became a practice I really got into. There’s an energy and immediacy to painting that appeals to me. It gets me out of my head and into my body. It’s physical. SRG: How do your works on paper relate to your artistic vision and how are they different? Do you see them as their own entity? DC: Over the years, painting became less about communicating ideas to my glassblowing team and more about the painting process itself. I paint on paper, glass, and acrylics, so I continue to explore color, depth, and the power of light through transparent materials. SRG: How do you feel that printmaking fits into the contemporary art narrative? 4
DC: Printmaking is another type of creative expression for me. I have always liked artists’ prints, and I enjoy the process. SRG: Having watched your dynamic and energetic process of creating works on paper, we are interested to hear more about whether you see these as a precursor to your sculptures? DC: My works on paper can be precursors to other work, but they aren’t necessarily so. SRG: We are so excited to present these works here in London. How does it feel and what does it mean to you to exhibit these works in Europe at this time? DC: London is one of my favorite cities; it has a great energy, and I’ve visited many times since the 1970s. It’s always exciting to share new work with new audiences. SRG: You use a wide range of luminous colours in your work. What inspires your colour palette in the prints and works on paper? DC: Like my body of work in glass, the early drawings were subdued, using simple media like graphite and charcoal. My drawings became more colorful as I explored new materials. I like both the subtle and the bolder colors. SRG: Which artists have and continue to inspire you? DC: The textile work of Native American artisans has been an inspiration which is evident in my early Baskets and Cylinders. I find inspiration in the work of many artists and architects. Some that come to mind are my dear friend Italo Scanga, an Italian painter and sculptor, Andy Warhol, Vincent Van Gogh, Francis Bacon, and Frank Lloyd Wright.
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SRG: The energy in your work is palpable, almost musical. It would be interesting to know whether you find music an inspiration during your process. If so, what do you listen to in the Studio? DC: When I’m drawing or working with the glassblowers, I like the music to be loud. I like the rhythm and energy, and the music gets me into a creative, focused state. Some favorites are the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, and Johnny Cash.
Seattle, 18th February 2020 6
Prints “Printmaking is an important aspect of my creative expression.”
–– Chihuly 7
Western Seaforms I Offset lithograph, 2001. Signed in pencil, numbered from the edition of 100. Printed by Print Haven, Bozeman, Montana. Published by Chihuly Workshop, Seattle. 87.8 x 57.9 cm
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Montana Baskets Offset lithograph, 2001. Signed in pencil, numbered from the edition of 100. Printed by Print Haven, Bozeman, Montana. Published by Chihuly Workshop, Seattle. 87.8 x 57.9 cm
Classic Five Soft-ground and aquatint intaglio, 2008. Signed in pencil, numbered from the edition of 50. Printed by Sidereal Fine Art Press, Seattle. Published by Chihuly Workshop, Seattle. Plate: 60.3 x 90.8 cm Sheet: 76.8 x 111.1 cm
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Desert Heat Screenprint with hand-colouring, 2018. Signed in paint, numbered in pencil from the edition of 125. Printed by Kolibri Art Studio, Gardena, California. Published by Chihuly Workshop, Seattle. 94 x 62.9 cm
Ikebana Pals Sugar-lift and aquatint intaglio with chine collĂŠ, 2006. Signed in pencil, numbered from the edition of 75. Printed by Sidereal Fine Art Press, Seattle. Published by Chihuly Workshop, Seattle. Plate: 55.9 x 45.7 cm Sheet: 76.2 x 57.2 cm
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Crisscross Ikebana Sugar-lift and aquatint intaglio with chine collĂŠ, 2011. Signed in pencil, numbered from the edition of 75. Printed by Sidereal Fine Art Press, Seattle. Published by Chihuly Workshop, Seattle. Plate: 55.9 x 45.7 cm Sheet: 76.2 x 57.2 cm
Bozeman Venetian I Offset lithograph, 2001. Signed in pencil, numbered from the edition of 100. Printed by Print Haven, Bozeman, Montana. Published by Chihuly Workshop, Seattle. 87.8 x 57.9 cm
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Bozeman Venetian II Offset lithograph, 2001. Signed in pencil, numbered from the edition of 100. Printed by Print Haven, Bozeman, Montana. Published by Chihuly Workshop, Seattle. 87.8 x 57.9 cm
From top left, clockwise: Four Gold Coins; Big Mouth Blue Basket; Mango Tango; Kangaroo Court Woodcuts, 2002. Each signed in pencil, numbered from the edition of 50. Printed by Sidereal Fine Art Press, Seattle. Published by Chihuly Workshop, Seattle. Each image: 50.8 x 39.4 cm Each sheet: 64.8 x 50.3 cm Available individually.
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Silvery Duet Screenprint with hand-colouring, 2018. Signed in paint, numbered in pencil from the edition of 125. Printed by Kolibri Art Studio, Gardena, California. Published by Chihuly Workshop, Seattle. 94 x 63.5 cm
Terrace Sun Screenprint with hand-colouring, 2018. Signed in paint, numbered in pencil from the edition of 125. Printed by Kolibri Art Studio, Gardena, California. Published by Chihuly Workshop, Seattle. 94 x 63.5 cm
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Moon Song Screenprint with hand-colouring, 2017. Signed in paint, numbered in pencil from the edition of 110. Printed by Sumo Art Press, Seattle. Published by Chihuly Workshop, Seattle. 94 x 63.5 cm
“Energy seeks an outlet. I love to draw, as it is an active and expressive process for me.”
–– Chihuly
From top left, clockwise: Hot Poppies; Merry Berry; Batik Baskets; Round About Red Screenprint; intaglio with lithograph; screenprint; intaglio with lithograph; each with hand-colouring, 2015-18. Each signed in paint, numbered in pencil from the edition of 125 (Batik Baskets an edition of 175). Hot Poppies and Batik Baskets printed by Kolibri Art Studio, Gardena, California. Merry Berry and Round About Red printed by Mahaffey Fine Art LLC, Portland, Oregon. Published by Chihuly Workshop, Seattle. 94 x 63.5 cm (each) Available individually.
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From top left, clockwise: Midsummer Splash; Purple Polka; Two Crowns; Big Chill Screenprint; intaglio with lithograph; intaglio with lithograph; screenprint; each with hand-colouring, 2016-18. Each signed in paint, numbered in pencil from the edition of 125. Midsummer Splash printed by Kolibi Art Studio, Gardena, California. Purple Polka and Two Crowns printed by Mahaffey Fine Art LLC, Portland, Oregon. Big Chill printed by Modern Multiples, Los Angeles. Published by Chihuly Workshop, Seattle. 94 x 63.5 cm (each) Available individually.
Viola’s Reeds Screenprint with hand-colouring, 2016. Signed in paint, numbered from the edition of 100. Printed by Modern Multiples, Los Angeles. Published by Chihuly Workshop, Seattle. 94 x 63.5 cm
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Silver Frost Screenprint with hand-colouring, 2017. Signed in paint, numbered in pencil from the edition of 110. Printed by Modern Multiples, Los Angeles. Published by Chihuly Workshop, Seattle. 94 x 63.5 cm
Echo Floats Screenprint with hand-colouring, 2018. Signed in paint, numbered in pencil from the edition of 125. Printed by Kolibri Art Studio, Gardena, California. Published by Chihuly Workshop, Seattle. 94 x 63.5 cm
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Royal Floats Screenprint with hand-colouring, 2015. Signed in paint, numbered in pencil from the edition of 175. Printed by Kolibri Art Studio, Gardena, California. Published by Chihuly Workshop, Seattle. 94 x 63.5 cm
Midnight Chandelier Aquatint, sugar-lift and softground etching, 2006. Signed in pencil, numbered from the edition of 75. Printed by Sidereal Fine Art Press, Seattle. Published by Chihuly Workshop, Seattle. Plate: 55.9 x 45.7 cm Sheet: 75.6 x 57.5 cm
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Blue Flaming Heart Ikebana Lithograph, 2000. Signed in pencil, numbered from the edition of 100. Printed by Stone Press, Seattle. Published by Chihuly Workshop, Seattle. 95.3 x 64.7 cm
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Drawings “Drawings play a very central role in my creativity. The process of drawing has helped me develop my work since the very beginning, when I was at the University of Washington studying interior architecture.”
–– Chihuly 31
Float Drawing Acrylic on paper, 2014. Signed in acrylic paint. 152.4 x 101.6 cm
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Float Drawing Acrylic on paper, 2014. Signed in acrylic paint. 101.6 x 152.4 cm
Burned Ikebana Drawing Acrylic on paper, 1998. Signed in acrylic paint. 106.7 x 76.2 cm
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Basket Drawing Acrylic on paper, 2013. Signed in acrylic paint. 106.7 x 76.2 cm
“When I stopped blowing glass myself, I began to do a lot more drawing. Being able to move back and forth between the hot glass and the drawing table is what allowed my work to evolve. Drawing is a fluid process, like glass blowing.”
–– Chihuly
Venetian Drawing Charcoal on paper, 1990. Signed in charcoal. 76.2 x 55.9 cm
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Entwined Scarlet Stems Ikebana Drawing Acrylic on paper, 2008. Signed in acrylic paint. 106.7 x 76.2 cm
Piccolo Venetian Drawing Mixed media on paper, 2009 Signed in charcoal. 76.2 x 55.9 cm
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Venetian Drawing Mixed media on paper, 2009 Signed in charcoal. 76.2 x 55.9 cm
Venetian Drawing Mixed media on paper, 2001 Signed in charcoal. 76.2 x 55.9 cm
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Burned Black Ikebana Drawing Acrylic on paper, 2009 Signed in acrylic paint. 76.2 x 55.9 cm
Biography Born in 1941 in Tacoma, Washington, Dale Chihuly was introduced to glass while studying interior design at the University of Washington. After graduating in 1965, Chihuly enrolled in the first glass program in the country, at the University of Wisconsin. He continued his studies at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where he later established the glass program and taught for more than a decade. In 1968, after receiving a Fulbright Fellowship, he went to work at the Venini glass factory in Venice. There he observed the team approach to blowing glass, which is critical to the way he works today. In 1971, Chihuly co-founded Pilchuck Glass School in Washington State. With this international glass centre, Chihuly has led the avant-garde in the development of glass as a fine art. His work is included in more than 200 museum collections worldwide. He has been the recipient of many awards, including two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and thirteen honorary doctorates. Chihuly has created more than a dozen well-known series of works, among them, Cylinders and Baskets in the 1970s; Seaforms, Macchia, Persians, and Venetians in the 1980s; Niijima Floats and Chandeliers in the 1990s; and Fiori in the 2000s. He is also celebrated for large architectural installations. In 1986, he was honoured with a solo exhibition, Dale Chihuly objets de verre, at the MusĂŠe des Arts DĂŠcoratifs, Palais du Louvre, in Paris. In 1995, he began Chihuly Over Venice, for which he created sculptures at glass factories in Finland, Ireland, and Mexico, then installed them over the canals and piazzas of Venice. 44
In 1999, Chihuly started an ambitious exhibition, Chihuly in the Light of Jerusalem; more than 1 million visitors attended the Tower of David Museum to view his installations. In 2001, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London curated the exhibition Chihuly at the V&A. His lifelong fascination for glasshouses has grown into a series of exhibitions within botanical settings. The Garden Cycle began in 2001 at the Garfield Park Conservatory, Chicago, and continued at several locations, among them the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, near London, in 2005 and 2019, and the New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, in 2006 and again in 2017. Meanwhile, Chihuly has exhibited at other venues as well, including the de Young Museum, San Francisco, in 2008; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, in 2011; the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, in 2012; the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, in 2013; the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, in 2016; the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, in 2017; and Groninger Museum, Groningen, the Netherlands, in 2018. Chihuly Garden and Glass, a major long-term exhibition, opened in Seattle in 2012. Sims Reed Gallery is honoured to present Chihuly’s prints and original works on paper.
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Selected Exhibitions 2019 Chihuly: Reflections on nature Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London, U.K. 2017 Chihuly New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York, USA 2014 Ulysses Cylinders by Dale Chihuly and Seaver Leslie with Flora C. Mace and Joey Kirkpatrick Coach House, Dublin Castle, Dublin, Ireland 2013 Chihuly Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal, Quebec, Canada 2012 Chihuly Garden and Glass Seattle Center, Seattle, Washington, USA 2011 Chihuly: Through the Looking Glass Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts, USA 2010 Chihuly: Recent Work Naples Museum of Art, Naples, Florida, USA 2009 Group exhibition: Making Worlds Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy 2008 Chihuly at the de Young de Young Museum, and the Legion of Honor, San Francisco, California, USA 2006 Chihuly at the New York Botanical Garden New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York, USA 2005 Gardens of Glass: Chihuly at Kew Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Surrey, U.K. 2001 Chihuly at the V&A Victoria and Albert Museum, London, U.K. 2000 Chihuly in Iceland: Form from Fire Listasafn Reykjavíkur, Reykjavík, Iceland 46
1999 Chihuly in the Light of Jerusalem 2000 Tower of David Museum of the History of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel 1996 Chihuly Over Venice Venice, Italy Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art & Design, Kansas City, Missouri, USA 1995 Chihuly Exhibition National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin, Ireland 1994 Dale Chihuly: New York Installations Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, New York, USA 1993 Chihuly in Australia: Glass and Works on Paper Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, Australia National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia Scitech Discovery Centre, Perth, Australia 1992 Dale Chihuly: Glass Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, Taiwan 1991 Dale Chihuly / Klaus Moje Glasmuseet Ebeltoft, Ebeltoft, Denmark 1990 Dale Chihuly: Japan 1990 Azabu Museum of Arts and Crafts, Tokyo, Japan 1988 Chihuly: Persians DIA Art Foundation, Bridgehampton, New York, USA 1987 Dale Chihuly: Objets de Verre Musée Matisse, Le Cateau–Cambrésis, France 1986 Dale Chihuly: Objets de Verre Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Palais du Louvre, Paris, France
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Published by Sims Reed Gallery March 2020 43a Duke Street St. James’s London SW1Y 6DD + 44 (0)20 7930 5111 gallery@simsreed.com www.gallery.simsreed.com All artwork and images © Chihuly Studio. All Rights Reserved. Cover image: Montana Baskets, Offset lithograph, 2001. Photography of artworks by Theresa Batty, Jackson Chihuly, Barbara DuBois, David Emery, Robin E. Kimmerling, Scott Mitchell Leen, Teresa Nouri Rishel, William T. Schuck and Charlie Wilkins. Previous double page spread image Dale Chihuly, Jerusalem, 1999 © Chihuly Studio, Photographer: Terry Rishel Designed by Plakat (www.plakat.co.uk) Type set in Portrait by Berton Hasebe. Text pages printed on Max Natural, Cover on Gmund Action Vibrant Arsenic. All rights reserved. No part of this publication maybe reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission in writing from the publisher.
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Chihuly
Dale Chihuly Prints & Works on Paper
25th March –– 1st May
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