Artist: Dale Chihuly
Title: Ocean Macchia
Medium: Hand Blown Glass
Size: 9" x 9" x 9"
Inscription: Inscribed on bottom "Chihuly PP 02"
Year: 2002
Documentation: Includes Gallery Certificate of Authenticity
Created in 2002, "Ocean Macchia" belongs to Dale Chihuly's celebrated Macchia series, a body of work that explores the expressive potential of color in glass. The term macchia, meaning "spot" or "stain" in Italian, refers to the series' characteristic mottled surfaces, achieved through the application of small fragments of colored glass to the molten form. Each work in the series demonstrates Chihuly's ongoing investigation into the interaction of light, transparency, and color saturation, central themes throughout his practice.
In "Ocean Macchia", Chihuly employs a palette evocative of aquatic environments, combining shades of blue, green, and yellow with a cobalt lip wrap that defines the vessel's undulating rim. The interior reveals a lighter tonality, visible through the translucent body of the glass, which enhances the depth and luminosity of the work. The contrast between interior and exterior hues—a defining feature of the Macchia series—illustrates Chihuly's mastery of layering and his understanding of how color behaves within the medium of glass.
The work's softly contoured form and irregular opening reflect the artist's interest in organic asymmetry and the influence of natural forms. "Ocean Macchia" embodies the technical innovation and aesthetic refinement that distinguish Chihuly's oeuvre. Like other works from the Macchia series, it represents a synthesis of craft and design, achieved through collaborative studio production under Chihuly's direction.
"Ocean Macchia" is inscribed "Chihuly PP 02" on the underside, indicating its creation within the Portland Press editions. The work is accompanied by a gallery certificate of authenticity.
About Dale Chihuly
Dale Chihuly (born September 20, 1941, in Tacoma, Washington) is an American artist internationally recognized for revolutionizing the field of studio glass and elevating it to the status of fine art. Over the course of his career, Chihuly has transformed glassblowing from a solitary craft into a collaborative and monumental art form, creating some of the most ambitious and visually striking glass installations of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. His innovative approach, combining vibrant color, organic form, and a sense of movement, has made him one of the most influential figures in contemporary art.
Chihuly began his studies at the University of Washington, where he earned a degree in interior design in 1965. He later studied at the University of Wisconsin–Madison under Harvey Littleton, a pioneer of the American Studio Glass movement, and completed his MFA in sculpture at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in 1968. His early training in design and sculpture informed his multidisciplinary approach, blending technical mastery with an intuitive understanding of space and composition. In 1968, a Fulbright Fellowship allowed Chihuly to work at the Venini glass factory in Murano, Italy, where he observed the traditional team-based method of glass production—a model he would later adopt and adapt in his own practice.
After founding the glass program at RISD and co-founding the Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood, Washington, in 1971, Chihuly helped establish the Pacific Northwest as a global center for glass art. Following a series of physical injuries in the 1970s that limited his ability to blow glass himself, he began directing teams of artists and craftsmen to execute his large-scale visions. This collaborative model allowed for increasingly complex and ambitious works, including his renowned Seaforms, Macchia, Chandeliers, and Persians series.
Chihuly's installations are celebrated for their immersive, almost otherworldly quality. His work has been exhibited in major museums and public spaces worldwide, including the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Louvre in Paris, and the de Young Museum in San Francisco. Permanent installations can be found in institutions such as the Chihuly Garden and Glass in Seattle, the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, and the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. His projects often merge art and architecture, transforming spaces through cascades of color and light that evoke the natural world while defying its physical constraints.
Through his relentless experimentation with scale, material, and form, Dale Chihuly has expanded the possibilities of glass as an expressive medium. His legacy lies not only in his own body of work but also in the generations of artists he has inspired. Today, Chihuly remains a central figure in the discourse of contemporary art, recognized for his ability to bridge craft and fine art, and for redefining what glass sculpture can achieve on both an aesthetic and conceptual level.
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