Chihuly

Dale Chihuly began to work in glass some 30 years ago, inspired by its unique ability to convey and transform color, light, and space. A co-founder of the Pilchuk Glass School, north of Seattle, he revolutionized the American studio glass movement by adapting the teamwork he observed when he became one of the first Americans allowed access to the secrets of Venetian glassblowing. In this first full-scale study of Chihuly's career to date, the distinguished art critic Donald Kuspit broadens our understanding of Chihuly's innovative and avidly sought-after work. Enhanced by superb new photographs of Chihuly's spectacular glass sculpture, Kuspit's essay explores the relationship of medium to artistry and craftsmanship and the dynamics of the creative process. A winner of the prestigious Frank Jewett Mather Award for Distinction in Art Criticism, Kuspit is an ideal interpreter of Chihuly's significance in the world of twentieth-century art. The superb colorplates and the book's dramatic design do full justice to the artist's brilliant multi-part sets, complex groupings, and inventive architectural installations.