Dale Chihuly Signed Teal Blue Seaform Persian Basket Original Hand Blown Glass Sculpture

Artist: Dale Chihuly
Title: Teal Blue Seaform Persian Basket
Medium: Hand Blown Glass
Size: 8" x 8" x 8"
Year: 1997
Inscription: Inscribed on bottom "Chihuly PP07"
Condition: Very good condition overall
Documentation: Includes gallery certificate of authenticity

Combining elements of 3 of Dale Chihuly's most popular series, this teal blue seaform persian basket shows like a highlight reel of the artist's illustrious career. Chihuly's unmatched mastery of color and form combine to create that feels entirely new in the world of glassblowing. The ombre green and blue echo the comforting feel of the ocean created by the flowing lines of the Seaforms series, while the well-placed black ribbing and intricate lip detailing layer in the characteristic attributes of the Persians series. The basket shape, drawing from the the most straightforward of Chihuly's forms, grounds the piece and adds an important element of modernity. In addition to the dominant blue-green color pallet, this piece also includes tones of white and yellow which help give the piece a brighter overall appearance.

Dale Chihuly's teal basket is inscribed "Chihuly PP 97" on the underside and comes with a gallery certificate of authenticity.

About Dale Chihuly

Born in Tacoma, Washington in 1941 the artist grew up there and studies Interior Design at the nearby University of Washington. After his graduation he enrolled in the country first glass program at the University of Wisconsin. In 1968, he received a Fulbright Scholarship to study glass blowing at the renowned Venini glass factory in Venice, Italy. At the Venini factory, Chihuly was exposed to the team approach to glass blowing that he would go on to incorporate throughout the rest of his career. He later went on to study and receive his second master’s degree from the widely respected Rhode Island School of Design.

After his graduation, Chihuly was asked to create and head the school’s first glass department. During this time, he also maintained his Washington roots by starting the Pilchuck glass school near Stanwood in 1971. It was here he first began significantly pushing the envelope of glass sculpture. He began creating the indoor and outdoor artistic installation which would later go on to become a hallmark of the artist’s work. During 1971, Chihuly also opened his first exhibition in New York. The work showcased designs influenced by Navajo blanket patterns. The Native American population of the Northwest would go on to play a landmark role in Chihuly’s work, as he would also go on to create a series inspired by their basket work. This famous series known as Baskets and Cylinders was showcased in 1978 at the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. After this exhibit, Dale Chihuly’s career really began to take off. By 1980, he was showcasing in installations, one man shows, and art exhibits around the world including ground breaking shows in Israel and Brazil.

In 1983, Chihuly began using more color and abstract shapes in his glass work. His Seaforms were the first to showcase these new techniques. Throughout the 1980s, Chihuly’s glass work expanded both literally through its immense size, and figuratively through its new techniques. Chihuly’s multitude of artistic experience and knowledge has made him able to combine elements of many disciplines to create a truly one of a kind aesthetic. The weaving technique he uses in many of his glass sculptures is taken from his earlier educator in interior design. Similarly, he also credits his interior design background in being able to conceptualize a three dimensional work and its relationship with the space it occupies. Since the artist experienced a shoulder injury in 1979 and is no longer able to blow glass himself, the artist’s experience in painting and drawing has aided him in showing his team of glassblowers his final vision. His drawings and paintings used in this process have become famous works of art that are prized among museums and collectors. Recently, the artist’s love of the outdoors and botany has propelled to a number of world famous garden and greenhouse installations. Most famous of these is his iconic “Glass House” he created in his home state of Washington. The long and impressive career of Dale Chihuly has been characterized by his willingness to take influences from unexpected places. By training in a range of mediums, Chihuly is not only a great artist but a well-rounded one as well. His unique glass work entered him into the social consciousness, but hisskill in other mediums as well as his ability to combine influences has set him apart and added diversity and longevity to his body of work.