Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Wednesday Vignette; well played Dale

It's an unpopular opinion, but I don't care for Dale Chihuly glass. Never have. Not even a little. Well, except I adore these pieces at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix. The color, the shape, they're perfect.

So it was interesting that while I was standing in Ron's Hillside Desert Botanical Gardens in Yakima a strong sense of something like déjà vu washed over me. That's not entirely correct, because I knew I had been in the garden before—since this was my second visit—but I felt like his tall Yucca brevifolia were familiar in a way that I couldn't place.

Then I thought of the chartreuse glass pieces at the Desert Botanical Garden.

Well played Dale...

Well played...

Weather Diary, July 2: Hi 68, Low 60/ Precip trace

Wednesday Vignettes are hosted by Anna at Flutter & Hum. All material © 2009-2019 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

21 comments:

  1. I love glass art, so I'm easily impressed, but this piece is stunning in its chartreusiness, a real head turner, and there are just enough spikes even you couldn't resist its charms.

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  2. For me, Chihuly glass in the garden is like mixing artificial fruit-flavored candy with actual fruit; both become less appealing when consumed together. It is lovely to see an example where glass art accentuates rather than detracts from nature, and such a great choice for a public garden.

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  3. AnonymousJuly 03, 2019

    I have never cared for it either. I've never understood the need for the distraction from an already perfect view. It's always seemed silly to me.

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  4. Nicely played for sure. While I'm also not a huge fan, sometimes it works really well.

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  5. Seeing your photos side by side, it's really easy to see where the inspiration came from.

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    1. It's crazy that I never saw it before...

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  6. I don't care for his art and when I was studying art in the 70's (including glass) he was known for being an egotistical and verysexist.

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  7. AnonymousJuly 03, 2019

    Being a KLUTZ of the first order, glass art is beyond my ken. I much prefer Mom Nature's creations, which are programmed to self-destruct without any help from me. Some of that glass stuff is pretty cool, though.
    rickii

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    1. From one klutz to another, I get it! One of he first jewelry gifts Andrew gave me was a glass bracelet. I thought I'd have it broken within the week—surprise, 16 years later I still have it!

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  8. Pretty cool interpretation!

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  9. Chihuly studied here with Harvey Littleton. UW has a piece of his that I find less than overwhelming.

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    1. "less than overwhelming," that's my new Chihuly put down.

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  10. Ha! Just one of the many reasons I like you, I suppose! I generally don't care much for his work either, and have always wondered what the hype was about. There are so many other glass artists that do SO much more interesting work. That said, those chartreuse wonders are just perfect! I guess we all have our moments of glory.

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    1. I guess we all have our moments of glory... well said.

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  11. I like a bit of Chihuly glass but it's been overused in most botanic gardens I've seen use it - and displays by the Chihuly imitators are generally much worse. It does look appropriate in that particular setting and, like rusty metal agaves, I understand why its form resonated with you.

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  12. Chihuly is a good example of an artist being wildly successful at self-marketing. I would rather see in all those places that his glass monopolizes, the work of an array of other glass artists. That said, these lime green spiky things do work in this garden.

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  13. The similarities are spooky. Wonder if DC had these to use as models? In our sometimes hail prone area, any type of glass is a recipe for disaster though I do appreciate more subtle pieces in other's gardens.

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    1. They do seem so similar as to be intentional.

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