On View
On viewObject number1998.8
Kalamazoo Ruby Light Chandelier
Artist
Dale Chihuly
(American, 1941-)
Date1998
Mediumblown glass, wire, armature
DimensionsOverall: 8 × 7 × 7 ft. (243.8 × 213.4 × 213.4 cm)
Credit LineGift of Christopher and Margo Light
Exhibition History"Art and the American Experience," KIA (Sept. 13 - Dec. 6, 1998).
"Lasting Legacy: A Collection for Kalamazoo," Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, Kalamazoo, Michigan (Sep. 6, 2014 - Jan. 4, 2015).
Label TextWeighing nearly 1,000 pounds, this sculpture is composed of 464 individually blown pieces of glass attached to a stainless steel armature measuring seven feet in diameter. This piece is part of Dale Chihuly's chandelier series.
Chihuly is recognized internationally for his innovative designs and new concepts in decorative glass. After studying sculpture and glassblowing at the University of Wisconsin, he experimented with team glassblowing, which enabled him to produce large-scale works. Although he hasn't blown glass since 1979, Chihuly creates the concept behind each work, which he relays by sketches, paintings, and words to the master glassblowers who then produce his vision.
