Magnificent Seven by Dale Chihuly Intro & 1st Piece. Dale Chihuly, American Artist (born September 20, 1941, Tacoma, Washington, U.S. 'Cobalt Blue Persian with Crimson Lip Wraps'. Magnificent Seven by Dale Chihuly presented by Sarasota Estate Auction. Praise for Dale Chihuly, is as bold, colorful and diverse as the master works he’s created over his five decades as an artist. “Dale Chihuly is one of the most important artists of the 21st century,” says Stephanie Stebich, the director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. He’s credited as an artist whose glass sculptures—often presented in complex and dynamic public projects—led to a resurgence of interest in that medium. An icon of the medium, who according to one avid art collector and a renowned glass enthusiast states unequivocally, “If there’s a Mount Rushmore of Glass artists, Dale Chihuly takes his rightful and much deserved place alongside glass artists and giants, “Lino Tagliapietra, Nancy Callan and Mel Douglas.” High praise in deed for a man who studied interior design at the University of Washington in Seattle (B.A., 1965) and received an M.S. in sculpture from the University of Wisconsin, where he studied glassblowing under Harvey Littleton. After earning his M.F.A. in ceramics from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), he traveled to Italy on a Fulbright scholarship and a Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation grant and worked at Venini Fabrica, the renowned glassblowing workshop in Murano. Chihuly established the RISD glassblowing program and founded (1971) the influential Pilchuck Glass School north of Seattle. Beyond all the experimentation and education that his life work imparts, is a thirst for creating works that engage, enlighten and expose the masses to his masterpieces and to the fine art of glass. Constantly exploring new techniques he did his first of a number of environmental installations—a group of clear glass bulbs floating on Pilchuck Pond. When a 1976 automobile accident left Chihuly blind in one eye, he pushed on, creating even while dependent on assistants and glassblowers to execute his distinctive designs and vision. Chihuly’s works in glass both echo and extend glass’s historical relationship with functionality. While his vase, basket, bowl and vessel forms dominate many of his individual pieces, he enlivens them with rhythmic tempos and curvaceous motifs far removed from domestic use. Creating a unique look and reaction from art collectors worldwide, “When you see a Chihuly – you know it’s a Chihuly.” A risk-taker, innovator and entrepreneur who thinks big in all aspects of his life and work…because of his singular influence, the Pacific Northwest is an international beacon for the glass arts. His ambitious endeavor in 1996, Chihuly over Venice, saw him take on a collaborative international undertaking, involving glassblowers from Finland, Ireland, and Mexico, a project that included Chandeliers an enduring theme in his work. The display dazzled the public as his creations were installed around the city and lit by natural light, while numerous glass forms were released to float freely along the Venetian canals. In 2002, Chihuly Bridge of Glass accompanied the opening of the Museum of Glass in his native Tacoma, Washington. He has created several notable extended series of artworks including his “Seaforms,” which evoke shells, starfish and other marine animals; “Blankets,” which are composed of cylindrical units in patterns suggested by Native American textiles. Dale Chihuly is an American glass artist and entrepreneur, well known in the field of blown glass, "moving it into the realm of large-scale sculpture" But he is more than that. Those are mere words. And words do not quite reflect the beauty seen in his glass creations. That is why Sarasota Estate Auction is proud and honored to present seven distinct works by Dale Chihuly, Four Glass and Three Original paintings, that we call the MAGNIFICENT SEVEN by Dale Chihuly. In this, a landmark weekend for Sarasota Estate Auction as auctioneer and owner Andrew Ford conducts the 99th and 100th Auctions of his career dedicated to exposing great and significant art to art lovers and collectors worldwide. One artist, Ford particularly respects is Dale Chihuly for his brilliant, varied and storied career. Dale Chihuly is a legendary artist whose career deserves all the attention and accolades, but none probably more telling than when facing the challenge after his accident, as he looked for a new way to create. No longer able to hold the glassblowing pipe, he hired others to do the work. Chihuly explains in a 2006 interview, saying "Once I stepped back, I liked the view", stating it allowed him to see the work from more perspectives, enabling him to anticipate problems earlier. Yes, to Dale Chihuly, “His glass is naturally always half full.” While some describe Chihuly’s role as "more choreographer than dancer, more supervisor than participant, more director than actor,” one thing no one can deny is the stamp that he has placed on the world of art. And whenever the Mount Rushmore of Glass artists is carved, preferably in glass, the face of Dale Chihuly will surely be there to be seen in all its bold and bright colors reflecting a deserved glory. His ability to harness exuberance and delight in his art has exponentially increased the visibility of glass. “My work gives people a lot of joy, and that makes me feel like I’m a really lucky guy.” And we are all fortunate and luckier for being exposed to any one of his life’s creations. Now Proudly, Sarasota Estate Auction and Andrew Ford proudly seven of them, The Magnificent Seven by Dale Chihuly. Cobalt Blue Persian with Crimson Lip Wraps, 2000. Dale Chihuly on his work: “When I was studying interior architecture, and playing around with glass because I really liked glass. There was one night when I blew a bubble and put a pipe into this glass I had melted and blew a bubble. From that moment, I wanted to be a glassblower. This spectacular creation is possibly a Portland Press Prototype and a hand blown glass work, consisting of two components. Stunning. A conversation piece in any room. Chihuly 00 is engraved on the bottom of interior piece. A signature piece representing all the seminal attributes that distinguish his work and make him a Glass master and genius. Size: 11 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 7 in. #1617 Location O6