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as “rough, very American, very Northwestern… very, very original.”
Instead of glass vessels, the artist made single objects of irregular
shape like clear glass bubbles, small, tendril-like glass tubes, and
anemone-like shallow bowls with fluted edges.
As a result of a motor vehicle accident in 1976, Chihuly lost
sight in his left eye, rendering his depth perception challenged.
Today, Chihuly is a living embodiment of fire and sand, despite his
vision loss and personal struggles with mental health. Hardships
aside, the craftsman has certainly brought blown glass into the
forefront, establishing it forever as a viable art form in
the United States.
Chihuly recently told the Associated Press that he has been
dealing with bouts of depression for decades, and, at 77 years old,
suffers from bipolar disorder. “I’m usually either up or down,” shared
the artist. “I don’t have neutral very much. When I’m up I’m usually
working on several projects. A lot of times it’s about a six-month
period. When I’m down, I kind of go into hibernation.”
But the artist is known, and will forever be remembered, for
preserving and elevating the art of glassblowing. Chihuly is still
the best-known glass worker in the world and is treasured by anyone
who remains fascinated by the history of blown glass. If you have
seen a piece of glass art in the modern day, it’s likely to be one of
his strikingly colorful freeform pieces that command attention and
marvel.
“I work a lot with the element of chance,” Chihuly said in a
1986 television program that originally aired on KING-TV’s
Evening Magazine. “We rely on the elements of fire and gravity,
centrifugal force, and we don’t quite know what anything will look
like for sure, and there is that possibility of something happening
that’s never happened before.”
The glassblower’s signature works are wide and varied in color
and scale, but when you spot one, you know it’s a Chihuly. The tall
stalks known as Glass Forest are both straight and wavy, signifying

One of Dale Chihuly's famed glass sculptures greets visitors in the atrium
of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Photo by Alex Postovski.

gentle breeze. His Medusa-like Chandeliers are unmistakable, with
glass spindles jutting out from a central point in varying degrees of
curl, some solid, others striped with different colors. He has also
created several different signature bowl pieces, including Seaforms,
Persians, Macchia and Baskets, each taking on a slightly different
shape. Chihuly is also known for his “art blossoms,” like the ones in
the Fiori di Como exhibition at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las
Vegas, likely his most viewed and famous piece.
The various methods for blowing glass have continued to
evolve over the years. Photo courtesy of Luxe Publishing.

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