Duane Reed Gallery: Friday, 20 November 2009

Dale Chihuly Opening Reception Friday, November 20th from 5-8 pm. The exhibition will run through January 30th.

Chihuly’s distinctive glass sculpture owes much to the grand tradition of Renaissance era Venetian glass, yet his work squarely sits in the modern avant-garde. In this visionary leap Chihuly’s rare ability to conceive of sculptural glass on a monumental scale revolutionized the medium. The luscious form of Chihuly’s 1 ton “Icicle Chandelier” enlivens the entire gallery space transforming it into a rococo crystal interior -bathing 4,000 square feet in spectacular refracting light and liquid colors. The chandelier, is flanked by a wall of “Persian” series glass which evokes the archeological treasures of the Middle East. Formed from a complex threading of glass, the “Persian” series connotes a lost era of refinement and luxury, an exotic civilization of advanced science, calligraphic mastery, hanging gardens, tapestry carpets and metaphysical love poems. Chihuly’s fascination with “dazzling threaded patterns to create basket weaves, waffled designs, and combed decorations” provides an apt
metaphor for the history of culture itself.

Gallery hours: Tuesday through Saturday 10-6pm

DUANE REED GALLERY
4729 McPHERSON AVE
ST. LOUIS, MO 63108
314.361.4100
WWW.DUANEREEDGALLERY.COM
info@duanereedgallery.com