Artist: Dale Chihuly
Title: Midnight Blue Float
Medium: Original Acrylic on Paper
Size: 42" x 29.5"
Year: c. 2000
Inscription: Signed "Chihuly" on lower front
Documentation: Includes Gallery Certificate of Authenticity
"Midnight Blue Float" exemplifies Dale Chihuly's exploration of color, form, and spatial perception through the medium of acrylic on paper. While Chihuly is widely recognized for his monumental glass installations, he has consistently used drawing and painting as a means of conceptual development, creating works on paper that both document and extend his studio practice.
This work features a vivid cerulean blue circle, referencing Chihuly's signature garden installation floats. The circle is punctuated with silver dots and set against a rich midnight blue background. The contrast of the luminous foreground against the deep, dark ground creates a sense of depth and visual movement, evoking the interplay of light and reflection that defines the artist's glass works.
"Midnight Blue Float" demonstrates Chihuly's interest in abstraction and the translation of three-dimensional glass forms into two-dimensional compositions. The scale of the piece, measuring 42 by 29.5 inches, allows the composition to command a viewer's attention and convey the monumentality of the floating forms it represents.
Through the use of vibrant color, careful composition, and reference to his glass installations, "Midnight Blue Float" embodies the fluidity and luminosity that define Chihuly's artistic vision. It stands as both an autonomous work on paper and a reflection of his larger sculptural practice, illustrating the continuity of ideas across mediums.
Dale Chihuly's "Midnight Blue Float" is signed on the lower front in dark blue, and purchase includes a gallery Certificate of Authenticity.
About Dale Chihuly
Dale Chihuly (b. 1941) is an American artist whose pioneering work in glass has transformed the medium and established him as one of the most influential figures in contemporary art. Born in Tacoma, Washington, Chihuly studied interior design at the University of Washington before discovering glass in the early 1960s. He trained under Harvey Littleton, a founder of the American studio glass movement, and later earned an MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design, where he also taught for over a decade. A Fulbright Fellowship brought him to Venice, where he studied the traditions of Murano glass, inspiring his lifelong interest in collaborative, large-scale glass production.
In 1971, Chihuly co-founded the Pilchuck Glass School in Washington, which remains a hub for glass experimentation and education. His philosophy emphasizes teamwork and collective creativity, reflecting the centuries-old Venetian approach to glassmaking. Chihuly's work is known for its bold use of color, organic forms, and monumental scale. Series such as Seaforms, Persians, and Chandeliers showcase his signature ability to merge technical mastery with expressive freedom, producing works that are both visually spectacular and conceptually engaging.
Chihuly's installations have been exhibited in museums and gardens worldwide, including the de Young Museum in San Francisco, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. His outdoor works, often composed of hundreds of individual blown glass elements, explore the interaction of art and environment. Although a shoulder injury in 1979 ended his ability to blow glass himself, he continues to design and direct his studio's productions, shaping every aspect of his works' conceptual and aesthetic impact. Today, Chihuly's pieces are represented in more than 200 museum collections globally, and his innovative approach continues to expand the boundaries of contemporary glass art.
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