Persian Lilies (in Garfield Park Conservatory)

In 2001, the Garfield Park Conservatory hosted a spectacular exhibit of the work of artist Dale Chihuly entitlted Chihuly in the Park: A Garden of Glass that proved to be an overwhelming success. ... The Garfield Park Conservatory exhibit was a monumental experience for both the artist and the site. Chihuly and his studio artists created and installed pieces that were inspired by the facility and its plant collections. This is especially true of the Persian Pool, an installation of sixteen yellow lilies designed specifically for the lagoon in the Conservatory’s Aroid House. A group of Chicago businessmen were so enthralled with A Garden of Glass that they raised several hundreds of thousands of dollars to acquire the Persian Lilies for permanent installation in the Aroid House.

(explore chicago link here)

Gardens of Glass

I'm currently watching Chihuly: Gardens and Glass - and I am still completely and utterly wowed by Dale Chihuly. His attention to detail, the way he makes glass sing is amazing. Watching him work, in this film and others, reminds me of a delicate dance - and he is a master choreographer working with many talented glass artists. In order to improve the glass as it's being blown, he suggests they just "follow the glass" and "go with it" - the art incorporates the gravity of falling glass, the unavoidable needs of the mediums of heat and light and fire.

At one point in the Chicago gardens Chihuly says "my glass just looks as if it's supposed to be here." Exactly. He has harnessed and emphasised the natural properties of the glass, and made them reflect the nature around them in the plants of the Chicago gardens.

Chihuly's website has extensive information about his current work.

Portland Press publishes and produces books and DVDs about his work.

Does Plastic Art Last Forever?

In the early 1960s, curators at the Philadelphia Museum of Art noticed something funny about one of their modern-art sculptures: It smelled like vinegar. Worse, the once-clear plastic sculpture had begun browning like an apple, and cracks had appeared on its surface. By 1967, Naum Gabo's translucent, airy Construction in Space: Two Cones looked like Tupperware that had gone through the dishwasher too often.

The volatile Gabo got so angry at the curators (he blamed the deterioration on their keeping his work in an airtight display case) that he took the sculpture back to repair it. That didn't work—things, in fact, got worse—and he finally gave up. He cast a replica of Two Cones, donated it to the Tate in London, and gave Philly back the degraded original.

(from Slate)

Apparently plastic art does not last forever. So.... do artists change their medium? Does the deterioration become a "part" of the artistic product and process? I really liked this article - reminded me about the factors "behind" the art.

In A Dream

IN A DREAM: Theatrical Trailer from Herzliya Films on Vimeo.

Over the past four decades, Isaiah Zagar has covered more than 50,000 square feet of Philadelphia with stunning mosaic murals. In A Dream is a documentary feature film that chronicles his work and his tumultuous relationship with his wife, Julia. It follows the Zagars as their marriage implodes and a harrowing new chapter in their life unfolds.

I ended up at the MFA today unexpectedly, and saw this film which a friend had mentioned. Fabulous - made me think a lot of the artistic drive, how we nurture it, how we see it, why do creative people do what they do? This film is only being shown for limited times in select cities - but I hope to see it again when it comes to video.

Click here for Zagar's website.

Art 21

Another terrific art series - bios of the creative process in many mediums. Art 21 is a PBS series highlighting artists of the 21st century.

I'm most fascinated here by the variety of inspiration and medium. I am touched over and over again by how we all seem to have a story to tell. These stories, these "arts" are so varied and personal, yet they still have a certain universality of the theme of love, place, history...

I'm hoping to get out today to see some art in a new way. Watching another episode of this series has put me in a good creative mindset!

Find the PBS website for Art 21 here.