Palmer Museum: Blog post 2

Peacock Blue and Yellow Seaform Set With Yellow Lip Wraps (1995)

Dale Chihuly

American, b. 1941

Blown Glass

·      This piece of art was developed late in the 20^th century when modern art became a strong influence. Modern art tends to lean more toward abstraction, which would explain the creation of this piece of work. This artwork has a very intricate design that directly reflects the abstract art trend taking place.

·      This work applies to pathos because the beauty of it is shocking. It makes you feel as though you are part of the piece and almost as if you were special enough to have been able to see it. It is gleaming as you walk by it and catches your eye. It connects to your values because it is simple yet beautiful. You respect the artist without having known him simply because he created such a remarkable piece without making it look like he’s trying too hard. It doesn’t have to be wildly outrageous to be beautiful. It makes me feel honored to have been able to witness its elegance.

·      “Chihuly has created more than a dozen well-known series of works, among them Cylinders and Baskets in the 1970s; Seaforms, Macchia, Venetians, and Persians in the 1980s; Niijima Floats and Chandeliers in the 1990s; and Fiori in the 2000s. He is also celebrated for large architectural installations. In 1986, he was honored with a solo exhibition.” He is clearly a well known and well respected artists. He has many forms of art including glass works, installations, drawings, exhibits, etc.

·      I think this piece is making an claim of elegance. As I said above, it is showing that you can create a work of art without creating something that is totally ridiculous or seems to be outlandish. This piece to me resembles something from the ocean, but others might interpret it a totally different way. That’s the beauty of this piece. It can be seen however you intend it, but that doesn’t change how striking and memorable it is. I think this artist is making a claim of uniqueness. He has other glass blown pieces as well, so I believe he was trying to establish a collection and a sense of respect towards his talent with this type of material. Personally, I believe it was very successfully accomplished.

·      My overall experience at The Palmer Museum was shockingly exciting. I’ve never been to this museum nor have I been to one by choice, simply because I think it is boring. I was pleasantly surprised when I walked into this museum because I was taken back by numerous pieces in this museum. There were so many to pick from, but the one I wrote about was the one that was most memorable to me. I can imagine going back because I’d like to learn more about some of the other pieces that I found interesting as well. On the upper level there were pieces that I felt myself starring at for a long period of time just trying to figure out the message behind it. In the past I usually wouldn’t have cared, but for some reason I was really taken back by how interesting everything was.

·      Did anyone else have a good time at the museum like I did? Was anyone else surprised that they actually enjoyed looking at some of the pieces in this museum?

Links to where I found my Background info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th-century_art

http://www.chihuly.com/biography.aspx