Explore: Dale Chihuly at the Museum of Fine Arts

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about a Dale Chihuly exhibit coming to the Museum of Fine Arts. Having seen Chihuly's work in Miami, Las Vegas and the Bahamas, I was incredibly excited for his team to set up shop in my hometown!

Today my mom arrived in Boston from Miami and we had decided about two weeks ago to go see the Chihuly exhibit together. When we entered the museum this afternoon just beyond the membership desk there was an enormously tall Chihuly sculpture in the main foyer of the museum. It looked like a spiked, light saber.

The Chihuly exhibit is on the bottom floor of the museum in the Gund Gallery. As you walk down the steps towards the exhibit you are immediately greeted by a floral installation of bright tangerine and yellow blossoms.

In the first room of the exhibit hangs an amazing red, glass chandelier that looks like an exploding firework.

In the second room there is a boat of shapes and flowers mounted on a reflective base. The sculpture itself reminds me of the garden of candy in Wonkaland from the movie "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." The sculpture is brought to life a second time via the reflection on the podium.

In the third room we found what I can only describe the Chihuly garden of eden. This collection of sculptures takes your breath away. The colors are so rich and the shapes are so unexpected. You could hear the "Ooooo" and "Ahhh" from each person who entered the room.

In the next room the ceiling was covered in classic Chihuly flowers. This installation is much like the one on the ceiling of the lobby of the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas. In this room there are leather cubes for you to sit on and look up at the ceiling.

In the adjoining room there were several gigantic sculptures hanging from the ceiling. I was actually more interested in the round discs below each sculpture which were reflective. If you stood very close to a disc you could see the reflection of all the sculptures in the room.

In the final room of the exhibit there was a stunning installation where purple glass sculptures shot up out of logs of white, birch wood. The contrast of the neon purple with the subtlety of the wood was positively gorgeous.

I don't think I will ever tire of Dale Chihuly's work. His aesthetic is so bold. I am thrilled his incredible work has found the spotlight at the Museum of Fine Arts. I am also grateful the museum allowed visitors to take photos of the work!

If you would like to experience the exhibit for yourself, it will continue through August 7, 2011. To learn more about Dale Chihuly, visit his page on Artsy

 

Molly Galler

Welcome to Pop.Bop.Shop. My name is Molly. I’m a foodie, fashionista, pop culture addict and serious travel junkie. I’m a lifelong Bostonian obsessed with frozen confections, outdoor patios, Mindy Kaling, reality television, awards shows, tropical vacations, snail mail and my birthday.

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