Running head: DALE CHIHULY ART HISTORY RESEARCH PAPER
1
Dale Chihuly Art History Research Paper
Student’s Name
Affiliation
, DALE CHIHULY ART HISTORY RESEARCH PAPER
2
Dale Chihuly Art History Research Paper
Introduction
Dale Chihuly is a contemporary American glassblower whose large-scale installations can be
found on permanent display in institutions worldwide. Employing a myriad of colors, Chihuly’s
work is often placed atop lights to accentuate it transparent glow. “Glass is the most magical of
all materials,” he has said. “It transmits light in a special way.” Born on September 20, 1941 in
Tacoma, WA, he studied glassblowing at the University of Madison-Wisconsin—the first
dedicated program of study of its kind in the United States. He continued his studies at the Rhode
Island School of Design, where he graduated with an MFA in 1986. Set on knowing as much
about traditional glassblowing as possible, he traveled to the island of Murano in Venice, Italy,
where he worked at the Venini factory perfecting his understanding of the medium through both
contemporary and ancient techniques. In 1976, Chihuly lost his eye in a car accident, and would
eventually be forced to stop blowing glass directly altogether. He now works with a team to
coordinate his numerous projects, which include large tentacle-like glass chandeliers, ikebana
installations, and garden works that require careful assembly. In 2002, he gifted his home city of
Tacoma one of his largest installations, The Glass Bridge, a concrete bridge decorated with
small vases. The artist currently lives and works in Seattle, WA. Today, his works can be found
in the collections of the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New
York, the Chihuly Garden and Glass in Seattle, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art,
among others. The purpose of this paper will be exploring the life history of Dale Chihuly and
how he transformed ordinary materials into extraordinary Art work.
Early Life
1
Dale Chihuly Art History Research Paper
Student’s Name
Affiliation
, DALE CHIHULY ART HISTORY RESEARCH PAPER
2
Dale Chihuly Art History Research Paper
Introduction
Dale Chihuly is a contemporary American glassblower whose large-scale installations can be
found on permanent display in institutions worldwide. Employing a myriad of colors, Chihuly’s
work is often placed atop lights to accentuate it transparent glow. “Glass is the most magical of
all materials,” he has said. “It transmits light in a special way.” Born on September 20, 1941 in
Tacoma, WA, he studied glassblowing at the University of Madison-Wisconsin—the first
dedicated program of study of its kind in the United States. He continued his studies at the Rhode
Island School of Design, where he graduated with an MFA in 1986. Set on knowing as much
about traditional glassblowing as possible, he traveled to the island of Murano in Venice, Italy,
where he worked at the Venini factory perfecting his understanding of the medium through both
contemporary and ancient techniques. In 1976, Chihuly lost his eye in a car accident, and would
eventually be forced to stop blowing glass directly altogether. He now works with a team to
coordinate his numerous projects, which include large tentacle-like glass chandeliers, ikebana
installations, and garden works that require careful assembly. In 2002, he gifted his home city of
Tacoma one of his largest installations, The Glass Bridge, a concrete bridge decorated with
small vases. The artist currently lives and works in Seattle, WA. Today, his works can be found
in the collections of the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New
York, the Chihuly Garden and Glass in Seattle, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art,
among others. The purpose of this paper will be exploring the life history of Dale Chihuly and
how he transformed ordinary materials into extraordinary Art work.
Early Life
