Chihuly: Organic Shapes and Brilliant Colors

— Fairfield — This year the students are studying the American glass sculptor, Dale Chihuly, as part of their art curriculum. Inspired by the recent exhibition at the New York Botanical Gardens, Mrs. Barber, our art teacher introduced Chihuly to the students by showing them a glass globe with infused colors. Chihuly’s works are considered to possess outstanding artistic merit in the field of blown glass, “moving it into the realm of large-scale sculpture.” The technical difficulties of working with glass forms are considerable, yet Chihuly uses it as the primary medium for installations and environmental artwork.

When asked to comment on what inspired him, Chihuly looked to his childhood fascination with glass marbles.

In the 1990s, Chihuly became involved in several significant public exhibitions that involved glass chandeliers, integrating architecture and glass sculpture. Chilhuly reported that he “was as interested in the way my art works in a public space as in the art itself.” Mrs. Barber and Mrs. Claus worked with the students, using clear plastic cups and markers to create pieces of our own chandelier that is now on display in our kitchen at the Center.

The study of his art continued through the holidays when students made candy dishes that were very colorful as gifts for their families. Recently, they were introduced to sculpture as they create their own uniquely shaped and colored three-D art.

Chihuly offered living canvases in his most recent exhibition that showcased his signature organic shapes in brilliant colors. It is so exciting to give our students the opportunity to be expressive with a variety of mediums and unlimited choices of color.