Throughout his career of making breathtaking pieces, he has attained an audience of his artwork. Giving much praise as well as questions how Dale Chihuly can form anything out of blown out glass. His art pieces capture the imagination as well as the fascination of his viewers into his artwork. Spoken in the words of Chihuly, he says, “Glass is the most magical of all materials. It transmits light in a special way.” In recent years, Dale Churchly and his crew of artists have taken storm on the estate of Biltmore, located in Asheville, NC. With over 16 marvelous installations, both on the grounds and inside Biltmore, Dale Chihuly’s blown out glass captures the beauty and luxury of the estate. Guests from all over the world fly or even drive out to Ashville, NC just to see the beauty of both Biltmore and Chihuly’s blown out glass installations.
In this research paper, we will dive into the heart of Dale Chihuly’s, what makes the pieces so unique to all who comes across them, as well as the culture or history that has brought Chihuly to the career of blown out glass. “Come with me, and you’ll be in a world of pure imagination.” (Willy Wonka) In the event that the well-known unpredictable confectioner of children’s fiction, Willy Wonka, had been a real-life ace of glassworks, his would be world-renowned, Dale Chihuly. In fact, upon seeing the astonishing and massive glass installations, as of now on display at the historic Biltmore House and Gardens, one might effortlessly call the whimsical figures Chihuly creates “pure and scrumptious eye candy.” In these 50 year of his career in art, his preferred medium to incorporate in every piece has is glass. To Chihuly, glass has its own personality.
The glass moves where ever it wants to. One will see this when they view the pieces at Biltmore estate. After nearly two years of planning and installations, the collaborative efforts of the Biltmore Estate and Dale Chihuly have resulted in one ambitious glass exhibit titled, Chihuly at Biltmore. When first entering the estate, the first thing you will witness of Chihulys is the glass installation, Sole d’Oro (2017, 14½ x 14 x 14′). This is a visual spectacle that must not be missed. Sole d’Oro is Italian for “golden sun.” The “gold sun” is comprised of 1,300 hand-blown glass pieces and weighs over 5,000 pounds. Those being clear, amber, spiraling tendrils, gold horns, goosenecks, hornets and horn-balls. Each time the installation Sole d’Oro is taken down, the “golden sun” will become different when installed somewhere else. The reason behind this is due to the pieces fitting and forming differently each time. This installation takes 5 people in the matter of 3 days to complete.
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Chihuly created his first Sun sculpture in 1998, and as with much of his work, has since returned to the concept with new colors, forms and scale. One might say that Chihuly’s ambitious and boundary-pushing career is illustrated in this series. When Chihuly was asked why he chooses to use blown glass as his medium, his response was, “I want people to be overwhelmed with light and color in some way that they’ve never experienced.” And that he surly received. At the front entrance and terrace, Sky Blue and Cobalt Fiori (Flowers) welcome everyone in an array of blue-hued shoots, orbs, and spirals. As one enters the grand foyer, the Laguna Torcello II (2018, 9 x 19 x 19′) entices viewers to the fountain of the Winter Garden, a glass-roofed solarium encircled with palm trees and other lush plants, which features the only Chihuly piece inside the house.
The twisting glass shoots of amber, white, and gold remind one of sea anemones, spiraling upward from the water pulling the eye towards the marble and bronze centerpiece sculpture, Boy Stealing Geese. This piece was created solely for the exhibit at Biltmore and represents Chihuly’s love of water and Venice. Outside the Biltmore estate, explore the grounds that lead to the elegant Italian Garden, featuring three symmetrical pools accented by sculptures and grassy panels. The Float Boat languidly sits in the first of the pools- a rustic, wooden dinghy packed to overflowing with large speckled and streaked glass orbs in rich, vibrant colors and various sizes.
As if they tumbled out of the boat, even more of these marbles on steroids, called Niijima Floats (Niijima is a Japanese island), dot the serene water laden with Victorian lily pads and Japanese koi swimming about. The back pool features the Fiori Boat, filled with an array of colorful curvilinear vines, straight-edged reeds, and luscious bulbs. Sharing the watery space are the Neodymium Reeds (in stunning purple) surrounded by Fiori Verdi (Green Flowers), marking another interesting visual contrast of slender, up-shooting pieces juxtaposed with the glittering, twisting cornucopia-horned shapes and translucent arching stems with diving buds.
Truly, the Italian Garden alone is a mesmerizing feast for the eyes. Spend some time here, drinking it all in. Leisurely strolling through the shady Pergola, an archway with lichen-covered walls and winding wisteria vines, one will see displayed four marble busts. Each represents a season of the year and is flanked by glass installations in organic shapes and cool-colored hues, called the Pergola Fiori. Below the Fall sculpture, however, was an arrangement that really stood out from the others. It was a group in warm colors (bright red, orange, and yellow) of vertical, rounded shoots that looked like a cadre of hooded cobras standing guard. Just a first impression; open to many interpretations.
The Walled Garden, a marvelous collection of plants, flowers (the roses and hibiscus were especially lovely), and fountains, features eye-catching tall and twisty glass structures, like the Electric Yellow and Deep Coral Tower (Which is 13½ x 8 x 8′ created in 2017), while Cattails and Copper Birch Reeds are scattered throughout the plant beds to enhance the surroundings. At the edge of the Walled Garden, is the Conservatory, a huge greenhouse with arched windows that holds a variety of exotic plants and flowers. Hanging from the ceiling’s riveted metal beams are three Burnished Amber, Citron and Teal Chandeliers (Created in 2017) shimmering in the sunlight from the glass roof above- the only other interior pieces in the exhibit, though it feels like one is outside exploring the wonders of a rainforest. These are just a few of the many highlights of this awesome installation, Chihuly at Biltmore. The monumental exhibit is a testament to how three-dimensional visual art can complement the existing environmental landscape and brings together the creative brilliance of two gifted artists from different eras.
