Spoiler alert! This is likely to be a multi-day post.
The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art currently has an exhibition of the work of Dale Chihuly. If that name is not immediately familiar to you, he is the artist that created the glass flower ceiling/chandelier in the main lobby of the Bellagio in Las Vegas. The exhibit at Crystal Bridges features an indoor and an outdoor component. They are spectacular. If you are within driving distance of Bentonville, you need to experience this event. The indoor display will close August 14, while the outdoor exhibit will remain until November 13.
Today I will post a photo or two from each area of the exhibit. In the coming days this week I will post images specifically from one area that caught my eye. Here we go.
Many of Chihuly's individual pieces get their inspiration from Native American baskets and blankets.
Other pieces are just sheer magic. There is a video that shows some of the works in progress at the Chihuly studio in Arizona. Many of these pieces require several artisans working together in order to produce the final product. Some of these works are quite large.
If you have never seen a fireworks display in glass, this is it. This piece is easily 8 feet tall by 15 feet long and several feet deep. Multi-color lighting provides an ever changing display. More photos of this will be posted later this week.
I have never seen anything like this and I don't expect to ever see glass work of this caliber again. Okay, let's go outside.
Yes, this is glass and it is easily 20 feet in diameter! We have had several thunderstorms and heavy rains during the course of the show, but one of the museum staff members told me that nothing has been broken so far.
I'll be the first one to admit that I rarely understand art and I never try to explain it. I just enjoy each piece for what it is, a creative assemblage of color, form, and materials, that produce something that I like to observe and marvel at the creative mind that brought each piece into existence. Come on back, there's going to be lot's of photos this week.
