As I headed for the exit after my visit with Turner and Constable, I happened to glance up, into the great dome of the V&A, and I was immediately glad that I had. A great blue and green glass chandelier loomed above, its organic tendrils reaching out and touching my memory.
I sent a quick picture to my mother, who informed me that the artist is Dale Chihuly, whose work I’d looked at a thousand times in my hometown museum, The Art Museum of South Texas. Everyone in town knows Chihuly’s glass, in part because it was on the museum’s promotional ads for many years, and as children, we all took our turns looking in awe at Blue Cascade, which I’ve always considered a small divinity.
However, when I looked up and saw the V&A rotunda chandelier, Blue Cascade became a mere anemone in the face of an entire reef. I had to make sure my memory did not deceive me, so I looked into the Art Museum of South Texas’ digital archives, only to come up with nothing. Sadly, the website doesn’t appear to have more than 100 or so works online, which is a real shame, particularly in this case.
I love Blue Cascade, and I love Dale Chihuly’s glass. From the Art Museum of South Texas, you can see the ocean, the Harbor Bridge, and pelicans floating on the sea’s surface. Underneath is the fish, the plants, and often, the glass. Broken bottles beat against the sand and the rocks until frosted, smooth, and safe to collect, which is just what my mother and I would do when I was a bit younger.
Glass and water have a special relationship as things that shine, refract, and hold one another. The glass may be full of water, but one look into the ocean and you’ll see that the water is also full of glass.
Chihuly’s work incorporates space, color, light, and the most whimsical forms. Like most art, his work is transformative, from sand to glass, and glass to art. Shadows and reflections cast onto walls and ceilings elevate Chihuly’s art even further, and so I must say that if you ever get the chance to see his work in person, DO IT! Without a second thought. Pictures simply can’t do it justice.
Art and Glory 