Sculpture Studio Spring 2012

Project 4: Self Designed
ARTIST RESEARCH/Source to Self Comparisons

Dale Chihuly has been noted as the greatest, most influential artist in the glass arts movement (Hackett 2006).   His background in architecture brought him into the fine arts world as a college student, and he’s made and making huge footprints.  Chihuly’s innovative techniques for glass blowing originate in Venice, Italy, where he studied traditional Venetian glass making (Taragin 2012).  The concept of using teams of artists in the creative process resonated with Chihuly, and after a car accident in the 1970’s, which left only one eye functioning, Chihuly depends on dozens of artists in creating his masterpieces (Chihuly).  He acts mostly as the overseer in the production of pieces, monitoring each stage and element of the glass construction.  Chihuly is not only infamous for his style of glass blowing, but also for taking a factory craft into the fine arts world.  His legacy is guaranteed to live on for generations to come due to his worldwide notoriety and his stateside school of glass blowing and glass work, Pilchuck, he, Anne Gould Hauberg and Hohn Hauberg started together in 1971 ("Then and Now" 2012). Chihuly’s dedication to the art is truly inspiring.  Though some may say he is too crazed concerning his work, it is his sense of determination that has made a lasting impact of the art world.  

Chihuly’s goals as an artists are simple for someone who creates such remarkable and intricate work.  Chihuly’s first goal is to have fun making art.  In an interview with PLUM Television, Chihuly stated, “If it starts to feel like work, then I’ll stop” (Chihuly).  Chihuly’s two other goals when working are to create new objects and forms, and that through creating these forms, viewers will begin to see glass, space, color, light, differently.  In general, the concerns audiences encounter in Chihuly’s work are the central conceptual issues in which he attempts to engage.  The relationship between color, form, space, technique, and the role of viewer interaction, are each fundamental in Chihuly’s art.  These conceptual concerns are apparent in all of his pieces, especially in his Basket Series and Seaforms Series.

The “Basket Series,” dates back to the 1970’s, when Chihuly first visited the Washington State Historical Museum and encountered piles of Native American woven baskets (Morgan 2012).  Chihuly immediately felt connected to the baskets’ form and tradition.  The form and patterns in the baskets inspired Chihuly to create a succession of pieces that mimic the Native American tradition.  When encountering the pieces, one experiences the baskets in fullest affect if they are perceived as a collection, not as individual structures.  While each piece may differ in size, form, color, and texture, together they amplify each piece’s unique qualities and create a harmonious balance and stirring energy.  Linda Norden articulates this point well in her essay, “The Life of Forms: On Dale Chihuly’s Glass Baskets,” when she refers to the pieces as “isolated moments in a complex creative continuum” (Norden 2012).  The viewer encounters a new space when viewing Chihuly’s “Basket Series.”  Chihuly creates a sense of wonder through his art.  The intricate balance of the glass bowl-forms, each balancing on each other while light streams through and reflects off the magnificent color and patterns of the glass, creates a new space to be entered.           
The second set of works that exemplifies Chihuly’s central conceptual issues in his glasswork is the “Seaforms Series.”  The pieces appear organic and natural, in form, as if the glass has effortlessly formed itself (Oldknow 2012).  The “Seaforms Series” collection of pieces explores the varied abilities of glass, specifically “the material’s properties of translucency and transparency” (Taragin 2012).   Chihuly experiments with different processes behind glass blowing, using optic molds in creating the ribbed and decorated forms.  Norden states that Chihuly describes the pieces from the “Seaform Series” as “endogenous forms and spiraling surfaces augmenting that liquid sense of asymmetrical movement” (Norden 1981).  The individual pieces inspire the work as a whole.  The pieces create a playful, mystical, and nautical environment in which the viewer can immerse.

Similar to the “Basket Series,” the “Seaform Series” contains autobiographical influences. Chihuly grew up in Tacoma, Washington, and honors childhood memories of spending time at the sea.  (Taragin 2012)  he claims that his intention was not initially to create pieces that directly references sea life, but when he accidently stumbled upon a technique that created a ribbed structure similar to that of a seashell, it resonated with him, so he continued to delve into- to focus on creating forms along those lines (Chihuly).   As seen in the “Basket Series” and the “Seaform Series,” Chihuly’s core goals in creating his glass art are to engage a multitude of concerns: color, form, light, space, technique, influence, and viewer interaction (Chihuly et al. 1998).  My piece for project four echoes many of Chihuly’s concerns.  Concepts such as form, color, inspiration, and viewer interaction are all interwoven into the intentions driving my project.  While we may share similar intentions, our manifested process and products greatly contrast.

Similar the Chihuly, I took inspiration from my youth and designed a structure similar in function to that of a kaleidoscope for our final project.  A box surrounding three mirrors, in the shape of a triangle, all mirrors facing in, sits above a circular spinning base.  The base is removable and can contain a multitude of objects.  The viewer looks down, into the box and sees the fractured, geometric shapes that form within the mirrors due to the multiple reflections of the base’s contents. The circular base protrudes from under the box, so that the viewer is able to easily spin it, furthering the function of the relationship between base and mirror structure. 

The material I chose for the base’s content and the exterior of the structure both exemplify my concerns of color and form.  The material that is placed in the base will reflect with in mirrors, creating intricate designs that alter as the base spins and as the contents change. In this relationship, the material, such as glass, beads, and even the viewer’s addition, create the fluid, mesmerizing forms seen within the reflections.  Due to my admiration for the traditional kaleidoscope, I hoped to incorporate the bright and varied colors usually found in the traditional kaleidoscope’s glass bits and beads.  The exterior of the box is a collage of the same elements, to reflect what the viewer will experience once he or she interacts with the box.  Form is relevant in these two elements of the piece because the materials in the base directly influence the viewer’s experience, while the exterior of the box incorporates form in its homage to the kaleidoscopic function.  

As I stated above, the inspiration behind this project steams from fond childhood memories of being mesmerized by the magic behind a kaleidoscope.  I was completely compelled by their floating, fractured, bright, dynamic forms.  My intentions in creating my piece were for viewers to experience similar emotions and interaction found in the traditional kaleidoscope, but through a different perspective.  Structurally my piece differs greatly from the kaleidoscopes of my youth.  In terms of scale, is it much larger, in terms of perspective, the viewer looks down into my pieces, as opposed to looking up, and in my piece the viewer, like the traditional kaleidoscope, spins the material reflected, but unlike the traditional kaleidoscope, has the ability to alter the material inside the circular base.  While Chihuly’s tantalizing pieces beg to be touched, the viewer is welcome to physically interact with my piece.   

While Chihuly’s art verges on the impossible; the unimaginable, in terms of form, he and I share the common desire to take what was originally known as craft and bring it into the realm of fine arts (Chihuly et al. 1998).  Chihuly’s success as a glass artist is revolutionary.  Glass went from a decorative element to one with infinite artistic ability.  While I am not working on the same scale, I hope to move the concept behind the kaleidoscope out of the craft world, from toy to respectable artwork.

Bibliography

Chihuly, Dale. "Dale Chihuly: A Selective Biography." Posted june 10, 2008. PLUM. compact disc, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETJhw9_B_X4.

Chihuly, Dale, Jack Cowart, and Donald Kuspit. Chihuly . New York, NY: Portland Press, 1998.

Hackett, Regina. Seattle PI, "Chihuly Victimized by His Own Success? Despite Depression, Legal Woes, Renowned Artist Still Turns out the Work." Last modified 2006. Accessed April 13, 2012. http://www.seattlepi.com/ae/article/Chihuly-victimized-by-his-own-success-1201229.php

Morgan, Murray. Portland Press, "Baskets: Holders of Secrets." Last modified 2012. Accessed April 13, 2012. http://www.chihuly.com/baskets-holders-of-secrets_detail.aspx.

Norden, Linda. Portland Press, "The Life of Forms: On Dale Chihul'ys Glass Baskets." Last modified 2012. Accessed April 13, 2012. http://www.chihuly.com/the-life-of-forms-dale-chihulys-glass-baskets_detail.aspx.

Oldknow, Tina. "Dale Chihuly: A Selective Biography." Last modified 2012. Accessed April 13, 2012. http://www.chihuly.com/dale-chihuly-a-selective-biography_detail.aspx.

Pilchuck Glass School, "Then and Now." Last modified 2012. Accessed April 13, 2012. http://pilchuck.com/about_us/then_and_now.aspx.

Taragin, Davira, S. "Chihuly Biography." Last modified 2012. Accessed April 13, 2012. http://www.chihuly.com/chihuly-biography.aspx.