Saturday, June 21, 2008

Do you know Chihuly?

in college my main interest was in jewelry design but i also had the opportunity to try glass blowing. talk about process. i was just thinking about this as i viewed the Dale Chilhuly four dvd set which if you haven't seen-you should-especially the one filmed in Venice. why should an encaustic painter be interested in Chilhuly? he's a master artist (kind of the mario batali of glass) that has gone beyond the difficulties of the process and his own physical limitations to pure creation. in Venice he works with two very different master glass blowers to create the most amazing work. the process of blowing glass is one of the most difficult, if not the most difficult to master in part because of the heat, the weight of the glass and the speed needed while working. there are similarities between glass and wax-they both become liquid with heat, solid when cool, the way they capture light, how translucent, how transformative. Chihuly has a lot to say about the creative process that applies to all artists. he often tells his students "...you are making something no one has ever seen before". what are you making?

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