Take a glass Float out of the Sunset Boat or Mille Fiori garden, and it is immediately transformed to look like an outsized Japanese porcelain ball/egg! 

Was it a coincidence that a Sunset Boat was also installed the last time Chihuly exhibited publicly in the United Kingdom, purportedly at Chatsworth in 2006? 

Looking at the boat, one could easily fall in love with the overflowing glass Reeds and Belugas, the speckled Floats, and the saturated yellows, oranges and reds. While I appreciated the origin of the Boat idea, it was definitely a welcomed change to see the boat placed indoor, artistically tilted and in close proximity. 

Sunset Boat (view facing gallery entrance)

Sunset Boat (view facing gallery rear)

Sunset Boat (front view): 

Sunset Boat (close-up)

Sunset Boat (close-up)

PS/ If you are curious about the Sunset Boat exhibited at Chatsworth, here is a photo from chihuly.com.

It was a clear sunny day when D and I arrived at The Dorchester Hotel just off the side of Hyde Park. Our mission: to check out Chihuly’s latest public art which was unveiled in January to coincide with the London exhibition at New Bond Street.

According to the Halcyon Gallery website, the sculpture is 6 metres tall, weighs 635 kilos and consists of 350 individual elements. On the ground, the installation appeared somewhat smaller as one had to view from a distance because of the surrounding curbs.

What I liked most was the subtle change in the ‘feel’ of the sculpture as one moved around the site.

Torchlight Chandelier (view facing Hyde Park):

Torchlight Chandelier (view facing The Dorchester Hotel)

Torchlight Chandelier (hidden view)

Sconces are rare in Dale Chihuly’s body of work, so it was a treat to see a pair installed side by side at the London exhibition.

What was truly unique about this pair was the use of Waterford crystal made originally for the ‘Chihuly Over Venice’ project in 1995. Up close, the sconces sparkled brilliantly due to the crystal cutting while maintaining the organic form often found in Chihuly’s chandeliers. What a beautiful collaboration!

Waterford Sconce II

Waterford Sconce I : Admiring the shapes and shadows (photo in black & white)

Sconce (noun) A light fixture affixed to a wall in such a way that it uses only the wall for support. Definition: wikipedia.

Kudos to Halcyon Gallery for adding new Chihuly pieces during the London exhibition and for bringing in a boat which I was smitten with.

Two very different displays for the main entrance to the gallery. Which do you prefer?

Between 5 Dec 2011 to 12 Feb 2012: Four sets of Maize Persians

Between 19 Feb 2012 to 21 Apr 2012: A Sunset Boat

PS/ For more information and photos on the Sunset Boat, here is another post for you.

Fans of Dale Chihuly’s chandeliers were treated to three stunning installations at Halcyon Gallery exhibition, of which one was a rare two-tier chandelier!  

Dusky Sky Chandelier behind right-hand window

Cranberry and Clear Chandelier behind left-hand window

Cranberry and Clear Chandelier (close-up): Beautiful accent colours. 

Gold and Quartz Tiered Chandelier upper-tier (view from the ground)

Gold and Quartz Tiered Chandelier lower-tier: Lovely shadows on the wall.

It was an ambitious first exhibition for Dale Chihuly by Halcyon Gallery, held in a large airy multistorey shop house at New Bond Street, London. At last count, there were more than 50 works on display at any one time.

A much talked-about installation was the 24-feet long Mille Fiori garden conceived specially for this exhibition. To experience the garden, visitors had to take a grand indoor staircase up to the Mezzanine, like visiting a stately home. 

Unfortunately, pictures could neither convey the scale of the room nor the complex design of the actual garden.  

View of garden from the right end of room

View of garden from the left end of room

For a different colour palette, there was also a stunning Sapphire and Sky Blue Fiori installed at the basement. Although the scale was much smaller, it left the deepest impression on D and I - something like a fantasy purchase if we had won the EuroMillions!

Information on this exhibition.

Artist: Dale Chihuly

Location: 144-146 New Bond Street, London

Date: 5 Dec 2011 - 31 Mar 2012