Dale Chiluly at the Salk….arrrrrrt!

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It’s worth blogging about if the artist wears an eye patch.

One of the benefits to being a painter for let’s say… 20 years; gaggles of unexpected invites to art exhibits, gallery openings and shows come your way. Recently a friend called me the day of: “You’re into Art Right? Well, now, no matter what it is, I have to go! When an Art category is featured on Jeopardy or some thoughtful friend (last minute) invites me to something as exquisite as Dale Chiluly at the Salk, I get a little down on myself for not being previously aprised to the information.

photo by Aric Blair

• As unfortunate as it is to be addictied to event planning,  it’s always a thrill to relish in the uncalendared. Those inncidents that you had no intention of ending up in or places you didn’t know you were missing. Those make the best stories.
  

  Arrrrrrt!

In the case of the Chihuly Exhibit: I would say this “story” lacks humor and climax but the back story and outcome are perfectly breathtaking. You know it’s worth blogging about when the artist wears an eye patch!

Dale Chihuly – has been blowing glass for over 25 years. He blows all around the world and really only exhibits in renound locations ( Venice, Jerusalem etc. ) This is why it was such an amazing treat for this sleepy art lover to be treated to an installation of this size at the Salk.

Glynnis Hubbard admiring the 3,000 individual pieces of colored glass

The Salk – You may know is over by UCSD, by the glider port. It’s a simple, yet huge, state of the art scientific breeding ground, even though was way back in 1959 when Dr. Jonas Salk and architect, Louis I. Kahn began it’s design. Salk, the man who gave us the polio vaccine, didn’t make a cent off of his discovery. In exchange for his huge contribution he was given the reins to build the Salk on gifted land. His goal was to create an institute that would serve as a “crucible for creativity” (“So…Science is art, hmmm, yes, totally” I agreed with myself.)

( Future Jeopoardy Answers:
- Five scientists trained at the Institute have won Nobel prizes, and three current resident faculty members are Nobel Laureates.)

Chihuly’s outlook on art creation and production is actually very similar to the concept behind the Salk Institute. The Salk has an internal skeleton that is literally wall-less. All machinary needed for various tests or projects, extrudes from the ceilings. Any wall that is set up is temporary and completely maluable. Salk’s intention was to promote communication and interaction. It’s a revolutionary way of doing science that has been emulated across the globe. Such is true within Dale’s style of production and creation. Chihuly’s “Warhol” factory style of creating is glass installations is very similar.

Andy Warhol, in his factory

He’s actually an art director.  There is an entire blowing team and a separate installation team. The installations are always different and Chihuly actully uses tubes of paint to design his sculptures and commissions his team to create and install them. His belief in collaboration is an inherent part of the uniqiness of the artwork and the possibliites that have been surpassed within the glass blowing world.

Ceiling at the Bellagio

The Salk installation is temporary but you can see his famous ceiling at the Bellagio next time you are in Vegas.

Overall a great venue and spectacular work. We viewed the exhibit during a cloudy sunset. There were a great deal of people there and I have to say the most amazing art anything I have seen to date.

Night Life

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