CHIHULY

CHIHULY

Schantz Galleries

contemporary

glass

Jerusalem 2000 Cylinder 2000, 20 x 8 x 8"

CHIHULY AUGUST 6—SEPTEMBER 18, 2022

Schantz Galleries contemporary

glass

Leslie and Dale Chihuly The Hotshop, The Boathouse, Seattle, 2015

We are honored to present CHIHULY, for a special exhibition at our gallery in Stockbridge. Over the years, we have been fortunate to witness firsthand, the creative mind and commitment of Dale Chihuly.

In the late ‘90’s, we visited The Boathouse in Seattle, with two of our three daughters. Chihuly was working on designing the Studio Editions for the upcoming year. There were perhaps six different variations of one series different color lip wraps and body color combinations. "Which one do you like... and why?", he asked us all, and we felt that tingle of involvement in the creative process. His role as educator and teacher is one part of Chihuly's success as an artist.

When we visited the city of Old Jerusalem and saw Chihuly's installations at the Tower of David Museum, it was one of our first experiences to witness in person, his no holds barred way of making art for the public taking big steps to exhibit glass on a grand scale. He even took it one step further by bringing in huge blocks of ice, 6 x 3 x 4', through which to shine colored lights - illumination. As the wall of ice melted over three days in the desert sun, openings appeared, disappeared, forms balanced, and people gathered to witness what to us, symbolized the melting of tension in that conflicted country - hope. We are reminded of those colored chunks of ice, when we look at the Jerusalem Cylinders with those large glass crystals.

Over the years, we have witnessed an artist who has pushed the medium and scale to advance the artform, while also attempting to bring light and positive change to a world that desperately needs an expression of love.

We continue to remain inspired by Chihuly's ability to make an idea into reality, to seek new opportunities for his artistic ingenuity, and to bring people together through his art.

Jim Schantz and Kim Saul Schantz Galleries, Summer 2022

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Beryl, Blue and Opaline Chandelier, 2019, 93 x 60 x 57" 6

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Merletto Basket, 2021, 8 x 11 x 13"

CHIHULY Dale Chihuly is proof that creativity is a renewable resource; in fact, the more he uses it, the more he seems to have. In The Art of War, Sun Tzu wrote that: “There are not more than five musical notes, yet the combinations of these five give rise to more melodies than can ever be heard. There are not more than five primary colors, yet in combination they produce more hues than can ever been seen. There are not more than five cardinal tastes, yet combinations of them yield more flavors than can ever be tasted.”

The current exhibition of works by Dale Chihuly at the Schantz Galleries traces the unfolding spiral of the artist’s career as he introduced and revisited different series, experimented with color, and pushed the limits of the basic materials of glass into “more melodies,” “more hues,” and “more flavors.” This body of work also demonstrates how, over many decades, drawing and surface design have been central to his practice and aesthetic.

While the Merletto Basket from 2021 is the most recent work in the exhibition, it is an homage to Chihuly’s roots and a tribute to the indelible Venetian influence on glass art.

When Chihuly arrived in Venice in 1968 on a Fulbright Fellowship, only Venini Glass, on the island of Murano, invited him in to observe and learn from their process. Merletto is the Italian word for lace and in this work Chihuly calls upon Muranese zanfirico glass (thin rods twisting together) to create a wispy alabaster design atop the undulating turquoise basket.

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Dark Chocolate Cylinder with Shard Drawing, 1980, 7 x 8 x 8" 10

The earliest forms in Chihuly’s oeuvre are the Cylinders, which he began in 1975 when he revolutionized what he terms a “pick-up drawing” technique to roll glass thread designs onto the vessel. Two handsome early examples in this exhibition, Dark Chocolate Cylinder with Shard Drawing from 1980 and White Cylinder with Aqua Drawing from 1981, resonate with subtle simplicity, while later works reverberate with vibrant motifs inspired by Native American blankets. At some point in the late 1980s, Chihuly began to use more color in his work, eventually experimenting with bold tones and combinations.

White Cylinder with Aqua Drawing, 1981, 5 x 7 x 7" 11

Peach Cylinder with Indian Blanket Drawing, 2016, 13 x 7 x 7" 12

In 2007 and 2008, Chihuly worked with black, as in the four Black Cylinders in this exhibition; the onyx base is not anti-color but a dynamic canvas for the multi-colored panoply of drawn elements. Lines of emerald, saffron, and sapphire crisscross over each other and through channels of white while perforated shards nestle in between.

In dramatic partnership with the black foundations and vigorous patterns are boldly colored interiors—signature chartreuse, cherry red, and sunny yellow. In the two Peach Cylinders with Indian Blanket Drawings from 2016, shades of vermilion, umber, saffron, crimson, and white balance sublimely against the unexpected peach canvas. Chihuly has only used this salmon color on his Cylinders three times during his career (once in the late 1970s, once in the mid-1990s, and then in 2016). In the clear Cylinders from 2019, the pure glass provides a transparent backdrop for frenetic layers of disembodied fringe, stitching, and patterning, all expressed in primary RGB.

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The Baskets are another early series, introduced in the late 1970s and inspired by the organic grace of Native American weaving. The Tabac Basket Pair with Oxblood Body Wraps from 1979 is indicative of his neutral palette in that era, guided by the natural tones of native basketry. The Tabac Basket with Drawing Shards and Oxblood Body Wrap from 2008, nearly 30 years later, is a reverential companion to the earlier work.

Tabac Basket Pair with Oxblood Body Wraps, 1979, 8 x 9 x 9"; 5 x 5 x 5" 14

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Tabac Basket with Drawing Shards and Oxblood Body Wrap, 2008, 13 x 11 x 10" 16

In 2008, Chihuly was investigating a subtle color palette in his work that he had not used in several decades. The decorative shards were made with Joey Kirkpatrick and Flora C. Mace, long-time members of his team. A later work, Golden Celadon Basket Set with Obsidian Lip Wraps from 2017, shimmers with coppery luster against a milky aquamarine. Here, Chihuly recalls the Native American custom of stacking baskets inside one another for the practical purpose of storage yet he does it as a creative act, layering forms and shapes to produce sinuous lines, compelling juxtapositions, and interesting shadows and reflections.

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Shadow Black and Amber Macchia Set, 1982, 8 x 14 x 14" 19

Chihuly has described his Seaforms, which he first began making in the early 1980s, as “a natural evolution of the Baskets.” The example in this exhibition, Almond Blossom Seaform Set (1982), is an ethereal assemblage of voluptuous blushing glass forms nestled together. That same year he completed Shadow Black and Amber Macchia Set (1982), whose natural elements are reminiscent of the Seaforms but writ in unctuous black, grey stripes, and organic daubs of red (the word macchia in Italian means spotted).

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Almond Blossom Seaform Set, 1982, 9 x 24 x 21"

Ash and Flame Persian Set, 1989, 12 x 37 x 22" 22

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Dusty Lilac and Sherbet Persian Set with Cherry Lip Wraps, 1988, 11 x 21 x 17" 24

The Dusty Lilac and Sherbet Persian Set with Cherry Lip Wraps from 1988 feels like an instinctive next step. In this early example of a Persian, patterned aquatic shapes— conical shells, round carapaces, and swimming creatures in red, purple, and blue— gracefully congregate. The spectacular Azurite Copper Persian Wall (2019) installation uncouples the classic Persian elements and mounts them on a wall, separate but visually integrated and enhanced by a luscious kaleidoscope of tinted reflections.

Copper causes optical transformations in the glass, making it appear iridescent green or amber depending on how the light hits it (Chihuly only used this color formula for a few years and another example is the 2017 Golden Celadon Basket with Obsidian Lip Wraps, made in honor of the 40th anniversary of that series).

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Wild Aster Soft Cylinder with Pale Green Lip Wrap, 2014, 18 x 17 x 16"

The Soft Cylinders came along in the mid-1990s, morphing the easy curves of the Baskets with the “pick-up drawing” technique of the Cylinders. In Poppy White Soft Cylinder with Green Lip Wrap (2012) the light surface pops against the vermillion interior, as lime green lines and shards dance across the wavy form, all thinning at the base to a beautiful transparency. Ruby red meets violet and yellow in Purple Wine Soft Cylinder with Spectra Yellow Lip Wrap (2002), juicy citrus forms the backdrop in Lemon Yellow Soft Cylinder with Kelly Green Lip Wrap (2014), and cyan and orange meet in Cerulean Soft Cylinder with Paprika Lip Wrap (2014). These large works (measuring between 19 to 21 inches high) are a marvel of glassblowing, molten waves in suspended animation.

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Ikebana Light Drawing, 2019, 42 x 32"

Drawing, whether on glass or on more traditional media, is a thread in Chihuly’s work. As with the glass, his drawings on paper range from subtle (like the monochrome ovals of the 1998 Seaform Drawing) to electric (like the green, white, and purple Basket Drawing from 2013). While the drawings are evocative of the series after which they are named, they exude a sense of spontaneity quite different from the glass iterations. The hand of the artist is felt in the immediacy of the gestures—circles and dots effortlessly achieved with a paint filled squirt bottle, marks delicately burned onto the paper through clever use of a glassblower’s torch, balanced shapes drawn by a master draftsman. The glass work Antique Brass Ikebana with Amber and Caramel Stems from 2002 is a stylized tribute to the Japanese art of flower arrangement, its long-stemmed flowers curving impossibly out of the classically shaped vase. The 2019 Ikebana Light Drawing shares a similar palette of rust and gold, but the quiet restraint of the glass morphs into an explosive composition in two dimensions. In his Light Drawings, Chihuly heightens the intensity, depth, and luminosity of the drawing by painting it on a transparent acrylic panel and lighting it from within.

The exhibition at Schantz Galleries chronicles nearly fifty years of astonishing work in glass and on paper by Chihuly, proving that though “there are not more than five primary colors…in combination they produce more hues than can ever been seen.”

The collection illustrates the capacity and audacity of an innovative and exuberant artist, prompting us to wonder what his boundless well of creativity and skill will yield next.

Jeanne Koles is an independent museum professional with a focus on cultural communications.

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Ikebana Light Drawing, 2019, 42 x 32" 30

Antique Brass Ikebana with Amber and Caramel Stems, 2002 55 x 34 x 14"

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Azurite Copper Persian Wall, 2019 37 x 83 x 15"

Jerusalem 2000 Cylinder #54, 1999, 16 x 11 x 6" 34

Black Jerusalem Cylinder with Pale Pink Crystals, 2007, 23 x 16 x 16" 37

Clear Jerusalem Cylinder with Indigo Crystals, 2012, 12 x 14 x 12" 38

Black Cylinder, 2008, 29 x 7 x 7"

Black Cylinder, 2008, 15 x 10 x 10" 40

Black Cylinder #62, 2008, 23 x 7 x 7"

Black Cylinder, 2008, 6 x 6 x 6" 41

Mauve Blanket Cylinder, 2010, 10 x 6 x 6" 43

Purple White Cylinder with Drawing, 2012, 17 x 9 x 9" 45

Spring Green White Cylinder with Drawing, 2012, 26 x 8 x 8" 46

Transparent Olive Cylinder with Drawing, 2012, 12 x 7 x 7" 48

Clear Blanket Cylinder, 2016, 7 x 5 x 5" 49

Peach Cylinder with Indian Blanket Drawing, 2016, 25 x 7 x 7" 51

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Cranberry and Pale Red Stitched Shard Blanket Cylinder #52, 2019, 18 x 7 x 7" 53

Burgundy and Red Shard Blanket Cylinder #65, 2019, 13 x 9 x 9" 54

Magenta Basket Set with Yellow Lip Wraps, 1995, 7 x 15 x 13"

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Purple Wine Soft Cylinder with Spectra Yellow Lip Wrap, 2002, 20 x 17 x 16" 59

Lemon Yellow Soft Cylinder with Kelly Green Lip Wrap, 2014, 20 x 19 x 20" 60

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Poppy White Soft Cylinder with Green Lip Wrap (detail previous spread), 2012, 21 x 23 x 19" 64

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Cerulean Soft Cylinder with Paprika Lip Wrap, 2014, 19 x 17 x 17" 67

Golden Celadon Basket Set with Obsidian Lip Wraps, 2017, 16 x 15 x 15" 68

Dale Chihuly, Benjamin Moore's studio, Seattle, 1990

Chihuly’s works on paper allow him to explore his grandest schemes. He often draws while standing, allowing him to express ideas more freely and physically.

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For Chihuly, drawing is every bit as natural as glassblowing.

Chihuly works with acrylic paints, watercolors, ink, pencil, charcoal, graphite—even fire—to express his ideas with energy and exuberance.

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Soft Cylinder Drawing, 1992, 42 x 30" 73

Blanket Cylinder Drawing, 1995, 42 x 30" 74

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They range from light and ethereal to bold and colorful.

Some relate to Chihuly’s glass sculptures, others are an experience all their own.

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Blanket Cylinder Drawing, 1995, 42 x 30" 77

Seaform Drawing,1998, 30 x 22" 78

Copper and Jade Ikebana Drawing, 2007, 30 x 22" 79

Lemon and Sapphire Ikebana Drawing, 2008, 30 x 22" 80

Float and Reed Drawing, 2008, 30 x 22" 81

Ikebana Drawing, 2009, 30 x 22" 82

Burned Soft Cylinder Drawing, 2012, 30 x 22" 83

Basket Drawing, 2012, 30 x 22"

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Burned Cylinder Drawing, 2013, 30 x 22"

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Burned Cylinder Drawing, 2013, 30 x 22" 86

Basket Drawing, 2013, 30 x 22" 87

Float Drawing, 2013, 30 x 22" 88

Float Drawing, 2015, 30 x 22" 89

Venetian Drawing, 2009, 30 x 22"

Schantz Galleries contemporary

glass

CHIHULY

Schantz Galleries Stockbridge, Massachusetts www.schantzgalleries.com Design: Kim Saul Photography: David Emery, Robin E. Kimmerling, Scott Mitchell Leen, Teresa Nouri Rishel, Ray Charles White, Charlie Wilkins, Nathaniel Willson All artwork © 2022 Chihuly Studio. All rights reserved.

Front and Back Cover: Gold and Scarlet Shard Blanket Cylinder #31, 2019, 12 x 6 x 6"

CHIHULY