Chihuly Garden Installations

The greatest living artist in the medium of glass, Dale Chihuly has had a lifelong interest in the colours and forms that appear in nature, in particular those of plant and marine life: 'I want my work to look like it just happened, as if it was made by nature'. Toward this end, his work has become increasingly open, using forms that show a strong relationship to the architecture of natural shapes. When Chihuly's work is placed in the context of the natural world, the outcome is both wondrous and strange. "Chihuly Garden Installations" explores the results of his nearly decade-long investigation into designing site-specific installations for some of the world's preeminent gardens and conservatories. This handsomely illustrated book follows his investigation from its beginning at Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago to his recent installation at the Cheekwood Botanical Garden in Nashville, Tennessee. Tracing the connection between Chihuly's art and botanical life, "Chihuly Garden Installations" shows how the exchange between art and nature can shift from the harmonious and tranquil to stunning juxtapositions of scale and colour. Lush illustrations showcase the ever-fascinating arrangement of Chihuly's unique glass sculptures among the natural beauty of the plants, flowers and landscapes of these magnificent gardens.

Dale Chihuly (b. 1941) has led the avant-garde movement in the development of glassblowing as a studio art and in the broader contemporary interest in glass as an expressive medium. His work can be seen in the collections of over 200 museums worldwide.