Dale Chihuly: 'The Nature of Glass'
Have
you ever wondered how fast a saguaro cactus grows? Or which plant is
thought to be the oldest living plant in the world? Well, one of
the best places to get answers to these questions and to get a feel of
the Sonoran Desert is at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix,
Arizona. The Desert Botanical Garden offers an impressive
glimpse into the unique treasures of the Sonoran Desert. It's home to
one of the world's finest and most diverse collections of succulent
plants, including rare, threatened, and endangered species from around
the Southwest.
If you go for no other reason, that would be reason enough. But,
to add to this desert landscape, an exhibit by Dale Chihuly is just
icing on the cake. Not only was I thrilled to see one of the world's
most diverse collections of succulent plants, but Dale Chihuly's
innovative vibrant glass sculptures as well, left me in complete awe.
Innovative describes it, but not nearly in total. Dale
Chihuly being one of my most favorite artist brought together an
exhibit titled 'The Nature of Glass' featuring new and unique works of
glass placed artfully among the Garden's 50,000 plants, this
installation is entirely within a desert garden environment, and it is
hard to determine which complements the other.
The exhibit and the botanical garden jell together in a
spectacular work recognizable for it's grand scale and brilliant
colors. These beautiful installations make the breathtaking gardens
even more memorable. In this exhibit, Dale has used the desert
contrasts of stark beauty as the backdrop for some of his most
impressive artwork. The glass shoots up from the ground in
brilliant hues of green, red, and purple or hangs in dazzling displays
of fiery oranges, yellows, and blues. It draws your eye to see the
desert in a completely new and different way, and adds to or changes
your concept of what art is or can be.
Photography of
Dale Chihuly: 'The Nature of Glass'