E-Newsletter : Issue #045 February 2012 Supplemental

March 1, 2012

Holsten Galleries
newsletter

Special Edition:
2012 Chihuly Studio Editions

Note from Kenn Holsten

I’m very pleased to announce the availability of Dale Chihuly’s  2012 Studio Editions!  Those of you who read this newsletter already know that I am a big Chihuly fan and have always loved these smaller interpretations of Dale’s normally larger scale works.  This year there are four new offerings, each from one of Chihuly’s well known series: Macchia, Seaform, Persian and Ikebana.

Aqua Blue Macchia
Dale’s famous quote, “I never met a color that I don’t like,” is never more in evidence than in his Macchia series. In this year’s “Aqua Blue Macchia,” cool turquoise meets mischievous orange. It is further enhanced by a scattering of indigo “jimmies” across the exterior and finished off with a chartreuse lip wrap.  This work has tremendous impact for a piece that measures only about six inches in height!

White Pearl Seaform Pair
Dale Chihuly says about his Seaform Series: “Glass is defined as a super-cooled liquid. And it’s transparent, like water. (The fact) that the objects end up looking like it came from the sea is no accident.” The 2012 “White Pearl Seaform Pair” draws its visual strength from the dexterous balance between the two elements of the composition, as if the two elements are being swept to and fro under water. The turquoise lip wrap draws the eye outward, away from the interior’s kinetic energy, to the gentle scallop of the sculpture’s outer edges. This piece measures approximately nine inches across.

Violet Persian Pair
Some of Chihuly’s most imaginative forms and color combinations occur in his well-known Persian Series. This year’s “Violet Persian Pair” is no exception. It is a dramatic two-piece composition, unfolding in a swirling wave of aubergine.  A tonal body wrap emphasizes the sculpture’s lyrical swells which culminate in a contrasting green body wrap. The smaller, cone-shaped element draws the dialogue of color and form into the interior of the composition. This piece measure about eleven inches across.

Scarlet Leaf Ikebana
Ikebana is a disciplined Japanese floral art which emphasizes balance, harmony and form.  Chihuly was very impressed with these beautiful arrangements during several trips to Japan in the 1980’s and began a series of very large-scale blown vessels containing stems with glass flowers and leaves.  The “Scarlet Leaf Ikebana” is a two-piece sculpture which illustrates the simple elegance of this series. Patches of silver and gold and opaline spots adorn the amber vessel which contains a coiling stem with a scarlet ribbed leaf with streaks of gold. The sculpture stands about eleven inches high.

Please feel free to contact me with your thoughts and questions about these magnificent new Chihuly works!

Kenn Holsten

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