Dale Chihuly Important FIRST Macchia Glass Series 1981 Signed Dated

Artist: Dale Chihuly
Medium: Hand Blown Glass
Size: 16" 8" x 11 3/4"
Year: 1981
Condition: Museum Quality
Provenance: Includes Gallery COA

Dale Chihuly is well known for his Macchia series that started in 1981. This is a rare glimpse into that early creation and maybe an early look at what the soft cylinder became in 1984.

These wildly spotted bright colored forms were originally dubbed the uglies by his mother and eventually christened "Macchia" Italian for "spotted" by his friend Italo Scanga. We have heard of the 1981 Macchia's, this is the first time we have ever had an opportunity to present our customers with one.

One of the most famous contemporary glass artists in the world, Dale Chihuly is best known for his monumental sculptures and installations. He is the name behind the spectacular ceiling at the Bellagio’s flower garden in Las Vegas and the creator of the Rotunda Chandelier at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Glass works of Dale Chihuly are considered some of the most desired collectibles between the decorative arts devotees today.

Despite his initial indifference towards education, Chihuly has spent a lot of time in school, obtaining both scientific and artistic degree in sculpture from prestigious graduate schools. He displayed a proclivity for interior design and craft early on, but his true passion was always in the glass. He was a Fulbright Fellow in the late 1960s and an apprentice at the Venini Glass Factory in Venice. Mastering the art of Murano glasswork, he continued the experiments with glassblowing and thus became one of the people who brought the ancient art of glassblowing back into the spotlight on an international scale.

Monumental and small-scale artwork of Dale Chihuly is present in over 200 most renowned decorative art collections today, while the artist holds twelve honorary doctorates!

The most illustrious series in his work are Cylinders and Baskets he created in the 1970s; Macchia, Venetians, and Persians from the 1980s, Niijima Floats and Chandeliers created in the 1990s; and a more recent one, Fiori from the 2000s.

For over 30 years, Dale Chihuly has been acting as an artistic director of his team of craftsmen, since he was incapacitated in two accidents, which left him blind in one eye and incapable of holding the blowing tube. This change allowed him to see the possibilities of glass work on a broader scale, while still maintaining his recognizable style.