Blue Birch Reeds: Blue Birch Reeds and Scorpion Tails is an installation consisting of dozens of reeds, which stand tall amongst a garden of barrel cactus at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Ariz. The brilliant blues and cobalts are seen in natural daylight in this photo. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Red Reeds: The Red Reeds exhibit was photographed at dusk not long after the artificial lights began illuminating the reeds. Framed with Yucca spires in the foreground similar in shape and design to Chihuly’s glasswork. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
By GARY WARREN
Photographer
Formerly of Los Alamos
Dale Chihuly is an American artist who works in a variety of media such as paint, charcoal, neon and other media but Chihuly is one of the most respected and well known artists worldwide in the field of blown glass.
Chihuly’s glass pieces create a sculpture or large architectural decor element. Chihulys glasswork is generally large in size and each exhibit or installation may consist of several related pieces. One of Chihuly’s largest installations is in the lobby of Bellagio Resort in Las Vegas. That installation consists of hundreds of pieces in floral shapes and design that create a ceiling sculpture more than 2,000 square-feet in size.
The glassworks of Dale Chihuly have been displayed worldwide and are included in countless museum collections. The prominent display of work in 2022 is entitled “Chihuly In the Desert” and is shared by two iconic venues in the Phoenix area; the Desert Botanical Garden and Taliesin West, the western home to architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Each venue has half of the “Chihuly In the Desert” pieces.
This display is special in that it combines art, architecture and nature. Chihuly’s striking use of color and design are amazing when displayed in these settings. The natural sunlight lights the works during daylight hours and artificial lights installed with each exhibit bring the pieces to life when the sunlight fades.
Dale Chihuly was injured in an auto accident in 1976 and lost vision in his left eye. A shoulder injury years later made it impossible for Chihuly to continue hands on creation of the works. Since that time, Chihuly creates pieces mentally and on paper but now has a team of assistants that he directs during the glass production process.
Chihuly was born in Washington state but studied glass blowing around the world. He now lives in the Seattle area and has a 34,000-square-foot studio where he employs a staff of about 100.
We were able to visit the Desert Botanical Garden during a recent stop in Phoenix and the photos discussed in this post are all included in the Botanical Garden exhibit of Chihuly’s glasswork. We attended late afternoon so that we could view the glassworks in natural daylight as well as with artificial light, which began at dusk. The “Chihuly In the Desert” exhibit continues through June 19 at the Desert Botanical Garden and Taliesin West.
Editor’s note: Longtime Los Alamos photographer Gary Warren and his wife Marilyn are traveling around the country, and he shares his photographs, which appear in the “Posts from the Road” series published in the Sunday edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post.
Desert Fiori: Desert Fiori displays vibrant colors of red, orange, yellow and several shades of cobalt blue. This image was taken at dusk shortly after the lights began to light the glass giving it an iridescent look which make the colors glow. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Reeds and Garden: A view of the Neodymium Reeds display shows the reeds illuminated by the late afternoon sunlight. The vertical reeds emulate the vertical forms of the various cacti in the garden while the lighting makes the forest of reeds glow in shades of violent. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Neodymium Reeds: Another view of the Neodymium Reeds as seen in the previous image, but this image is lit by the artificial lighting installed with the exhibit at the Desert Botanical Garden. The artificial lighting brings a warmer hue to the reeds and increased contrast between the darker shades and the highlights in the reeds. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Paint Brushes: A portion of the Paint Brushes exhibit is seen as the late day sunshine shines on the glasswork bringing each piece to life. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Opal and Amber Tower: The Opal and Amber Tower glasswork display at the Desert Botanical Garden is a striking 16-foot-tall series of intertwined glass. This piece shines in the late afternoon sunlight and offers beautiful contrast against the clear blue sky. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
