Dale Chihuly Bones and Cones Original 1982 Charcoal Drawing

Artist: Dale Chihuly
Title: Bones and Cones
Medium: Original Charcoal Drawing on Paper
Sheet Size: 22.25" x 29.75"
Frame Size: 34" x 41"
Year: 1982
Inscription: Signed and dated, front lower center
Documentation: Includes gallery certificate of authenticity

Dale Chihuly's "Bones and Cones" (1982) is an original charcoal drawing on paper that reflects the artist's early exploration of organic forms through drawing. Executed in charcoal, the composition consists of loosely defined, overlapping forms rendered with sweeping lines, dense areas of shading, and gestural marks. The combination of dark, heavily worked passages and lighter outlines creates a sense of movement across the sheet, while the individual forms remain open to interpretation.

Created in 1982, the drawing dates from an important period in Chihuly's development as an artist and provides an example of his work on paper alongside his better-known practice in glass. Drawing has remained an important component of Chihuly's artistic process, allowing him to investigate forms, compositions, and spatial relationships through direct mark-making.

The work measures 22 1/4 by 29 3/4 inches, with framed dimensions of 34 by 41 inches. Its relatively large sheet size provides ample space for Chihuly's expansive charcoal gestures and layered marks, while the restrained palette places emphasis on line, form, and tonal variation.

"Bones and Cones" is signed and dated by Chihuly at the lower center of the sheet. The work is accompanied by a gallery certificate of authenticity. As an original work on paper from 1982, it offers a direct example of Chihuly's drawing practice and his engagement with abstracted, organic forms during this period of his career.

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About Dale Chihuly

Dale Chihuly is an American artist best known for his large-scale glass sculpture and installations. Born in Tacoma, Washington, in 1941, Chihuly studied interior design at the University of Washington before turning to glassmaking. He later attended the Rhode Island School of Design, where he established a glass program and taught for more than a decade.

Chihuly played an important role in expanding the possibilities of glass as a medium for contemporary art. His work moves beyond traditional functional glassmaking, using blown glass to create sculptural forms and expansive installations characterized by vivid color, organic shapes, transparency, and light. His major series include Seaforms, Macchia, Persians, Venetians, Cylinders, and Ikebana.

Throughout his career, Chihuly has exhibited extensively in museums and galleries internationally. His work is represented in the collections of major institutions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the Seattle Art Museum. His installations have also been presented in public spaces and botanical settings.

Chihuly Garden and Glass, which opened in Seattle in 2012, provides a permanent presentation of his work alongside a landscaped garden and exhibition spaces. Chihuly's contribution to contemporary glass sculpture has influenced subsequent generations of artists and helped establish glass as a significant medium within contemporary art.