Chihuly: Form from Fire

by Dale Chihuly, Henry Geldzahler, Walter Darby Bannard

"Chihuly's originality lies in his refusal to believe that there are fixed rules that must be adhered to," wrote the late Henry Geldzahler, former curator of contemporary art of New York's Metropolitan Museum, in his essay for "Chihuly Form From Fire." Accompanying the artist's traveling retrospective, the 144-page book documents 10 of Chihuly's rule-breaking series from the Baskets, begun in the late 1970s, through the Pilchuck Stumps of 1992. Painter and art critic Walter Darby Bannard introduces the volume, which is more inclusive than a typical exhibition catalog, with a personal response to Chihuly and his glass. Seventy-five full-color reproductions and commentary on the individual series by the artist and noted authorities provide a visual and verbal overview of the artist's career. "Chihuly Form From Fire" offers a definitive look at "Chihuly As of 1993," as Geldzahler titled his provocative essay in which he asserts that Chihuly "does go over the top at times."

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

144 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 1993

About the author

Dale Chihuly is considered one of the most innovative and iconic figures in contemporary art. Chihuly has been working with glass as an artistic medium for nearly fifty years, to increasing critical and popular acclaim. His solo exhibition venues have included the Victoria and Albert Museum, London; the de Young Museums, San Francisco; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. His work is in the permanent collections of more than 200 museums worldwide.

Reviews

[Lenore Kuipers-Cummins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have seen Dale Chihuly's work in the Sonoran Desert in Arizona. It's art that takes your breath away; and all done with glass. No piece of his art is the same, and one just seems to outdo the other.
The book went through his different stages, with commentary from both Chihuly and another artist or authority on art.
He has been compared by Henry Geldzahler to Louis Comfort Tiffany as "one of the first American artists to have an international impact."
A chronology traces Chihuly's career from his birth in Tacoma, Washington in 1941 to 1993. There is a listing of selected museum collections, and public collections. Selected permanent installations 1964-1992 are listed, and a bibliography that include those by the artist, interviews with the artist, catalogues and monographs on the artist, books including the artist, exhibitions catalogues including the artist, periodical articles about the artist, and newspaper articles about the artist.

[Syntaxx · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice collection of photographs, many full page color. Discussions of Chihuly's various movements (e.g. baskets, macchia, etc). Macchia means spotted in Italian, and comes from immaculate, meaning 'unspotted.' It also means "patina" and "to sketch," among other various artistic meanings.

[Stephani · Rating 4 out of 5]

My kind of art book: very little text, very big photos!

[Cameron Toney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful book, mostly full of pictures of the glass objects and sculptures. A feast for the eyes.