Description
Artist: Dale Chihuly
Title: Zinnia Macchia
Medium: Handblown glass
Size: 10" x 12" x 12"
Year: 2014
Inscription: Etched Chihuly CW14
Condition: Museum quality
Documentation: Includes Gallery Certificate of Authenticity
Italian for "Spot," Dale Chihuly's Macchias are immediately identifiable by their mottled appearance. Although the Macchia series began with a more muted color pallet, today's Macchia's feature a vibrant rainbow of hues. The greens, yellows, and especially the almost fluorescent pink interior of this 2014 Chihuly Workshop Zinnia Macchia is a perfect example of the saturated, jewel tones that have come to define Chihuly's glass work in the modern ear. It's been said that Dale Chihuly wanted to use all 300 colors in his hot shop during the making of his Macchia series, and the Zinnia Macchia gives us a glimpse into how the artist achieved that goal. At 10" x 12" x 12", the enormous scale of this piece combined with the bright saturated colors make it particularly impactful. Dale Chihuly's 2014 Workshop Zinna Macchia is signed by the artist, etched as "Chihuly CW14," and comes with a gallery certificate of authenticity.
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.