Dale Chihuly’s sculptures are some of the most immediately recognizable and internationally beloved. He revolutionized the Studio Glass movement and is credited as helping to elevate blown glass from craft to fine artform. However, most people come across Chihuly not within the walls of a museum, but outdoors in gardens and green spaces. His pieces have graced gardens across the world, and some of his most breathtaking work has been at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Chihuly at Kew: Reflections on Nature is a celebration of the work of the iconic artist and his second collaboration with Kew. The book showcases Chihuly’s utterly unique glass artworks across one of London’s most spectacular landscapes in a perfect marriage of art, science, and nature. Stunning photography depicts the art installations set within the landscape as well as in glasshouses and the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art. Highlights include the Drawings and Rotolo series, the most technically challenging work Chihuly has ever created, as well as Seaforms, undulating forms that conjure underwater life; and a custom-designed sculpture suspended from the ceiling of the newly restored Temperate House—appropriate for the greatest glasshouse in the world. An introductory essay by Tim Richardson accompanies the artworks, along with artist’s chronology and biography.
Chihuly’s sculptures are not meant to overshadow the nature around them. Instead, they encourage visitors to stop and look closer at the plants that host the art. With this collection, even those who are unable to visit the exhibition in person will have a chance to pause and admire nature in a totally different way.