Artist: Dale Chihuly
Title: Eucalyptus Macchia
Size: 6-1/2" H x 11-1/2" W x 9" D
Inscription: Signed and dated
Year: 2019
Condition: Very good condition overall
Documentation: Includes gallery certificate of authenticity and a complete record of provenance
The American glass sculptor Dale Chihuly is well-known for his innovative techniques for creating hand-blown glass sculptures. His glass practice is a departure from traditional symmetrical and perfectly formed vessels. Instead, his works embrace asymmetry and irregular shapes to create unique sculptural forms.
Chihuly began his Macchias series in 1981 when he decided to use the three-hundred colors of glass rods available. He used the colors in unexpected and endless combinations, creating a series that embraces a never-ending potential. Chihuly’s Macchias series incorporate one solid color on the inside, a layer of either translucent or opaque white colored glass chips, and a layer of another hue. A macchia has at least three layers of assorted colors.
Dale Chihuly's "Eucalyptus Macchia" consists of the characteristic speckled effect and vibrant dashes of colors. Various hues of greens and blues speak to both the timeless, natural world and also punctuate a thoroughly modern, color pallet. The bright, saturated colors and unexpected pairings have come to define Chihuly's work in the modern era. Through the use of different degrees of opacity and transparency, the light comes through the vessel in a unique way that is another signature of Chihuly's glass art.
"Eucalyptus Macchia" includes the original gallery certificate of authenticity and a photo of the piece in the design workshop. The work is signed and dated by Chihuly.
About Dale Chihuly
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.