Dale Chihuly Drawings
DALE CHIHULY Drawings
Chihuly’s works on paper capture the dynamic of his glass-blowing techniques and solidify them in a flat, two-dimensional surface. Done using a wide variety of mediums, including charcoal, graphite and acrylic, they provide an intimate glance into Chihuly’s internal process of both glass-blowing and drawing.
After losing eyesight in his left eye following a car accident in 1976, Chihuly relegated most of his glass-blowing to others in the hot shop and immersed himself more fully in drawing. Existing as another form of sculptural expression, this became his primary form of communication. His earlier drawings, such as the Basket Drawings and Ebeltoft Drawings, show the influence of his glass-making tradition. Depicting forms reminiscent of the tangible pieces blown in the shop, repetition of motions and figures comes to play a large role in his drawings. The circular motifs and themes that shape the forms are at once ambiguous and grounding. They allow them to float in the space of the paper, almost transparent like glass, while rendering them in the familiar shape of his Macchia and other works.
The works on paper Chihuly made specifically for The Stroemple Collection demonstrate yet another intimate bond; first, that between maker and craft; and second, that between artist and collector. These Drawings tell a narrative as intimate to Chihuly as it is to Stroemple.
Number of works in the exhibition:
68 Drawings by Dale Chihuly.
Space requirement:
1,000 - 2,000 square feet.