C y lin d e r
photo: David Emery; courtesy of Marlborough Gallery
Chelsea Persians,
2010
100+ hand-blown glass
elements on stainless
steel armatures,
sitc-spceific installation
Above:
W hite and Oxblooil
Sea form Set with
Black Lip Wraps
1983
hand-blown glass
16 x 22 x 17 in.
Right:
Silvered Jerusalem
Cylinder with
Baltic Amber Crystals
2010
hand-blown glass
19 x 21 x 17 in.
catalyst
Dale
Chihuly
THIS YEAR, AS PILCHUCK MARKS
its 40th b irth d a y , co -fo u n d e r
D ale C h ih u ly w ill turn 70. A t this
m ilestone, perhaps alone am ong
craftsp eop le, C h ih u ly is a hou se-
hold nam e. C h ih u ly Inc. em ploys
m ore than 90 p eop le, and 2004
earnings w e re estim ated at $29
m illion. W e caught up w ith him
w h e n he w as in T e l A v iv , at the
op en in g o f an exh ib ition o f his
w o r k at L itv a k G allery.
Describe your process:
M o st o f
m y w o r k com es from m y gut.
I start w ith a co n cep t, m aybe
size o r form o r stru ctu re, and it
e v o lve s. I n e ve r k n o w w h a t I’m
go in g to do until I do it.
W hat makes your approach
unique:
I fee l v e r y fortu n ate to
h ave the talen t and skills o f a
large team at m y disposal, esp e-
cially n o w th at I d o such large
architectural projects and instal-
lations. G lassb lo w in g is a v e ry
spontan eous m edium , and y o u
h ave to resp o n d v e ry q u ick ly.
I like w o rk in g fast, and th e team
a llo w s m e to do that.
W hat you like most about glass:
N o oth er m aterial has the ability
to take in lig h t and radiate ou t
co lo r like glass. W h a t oth er m ate-
rial can y o u b lo w hum an breath
in to , m ake a fo rm , h eat it up
w ith fire, m o v e it around and
m anipulate it w ith cen trifu gal
fo rce and g ra v ity ?
Biggest artistic influences:
O n e
o f m y clo sest friend s, [the late
glass m aster] Italo Scanga. B ut
m ost o f m y influ ences I didn’t
p erso n ally k n o w - A n d y W a rh o l,
J ack so n P o llo c k , and F ran k
L lo y d W r ig h t.
Proudest of:
M y son , Jackson.
Working on now:
M y first m ajor
exh ib ition at th e M u seu m o f F in e
A rts , B o sto n , o p en in g A p ril 10.
How you’d like to be remem-
bered:
It’s n ot really som eth ing
I th in k about. I ’d rath er leave it to
tim e and oth ers to d ecide.
fcb/m arn american craft 039
