Visual Arts

The greatest living artist in the medium of glass, Dale Chihuly has long been fascinated by the colors and forms of nature. Over the years, his work has become increasingly open, using forms that show a strong relationship to the architecture of natural shapes. Here, lush illustrations showcase Chihuly's unique glass sculptures positioned among the plants, flowers, and landscapes of some of the world's finest gardens and conservatories, from St. Louis to Phoenix to Kew. Tracing the connection between Chihuly's art and botanical life, Chihuly Garden Installations shows how the exchange between art and nature can shift from the harmonious and tranquil to stunning juxtapositions of scale and color.   Praise for CHIHULY GARDEN INSTALLATIONS:  "The glass artist Dale Chihuly is always good for a change of a scene. . . . Chihuly Garden Installations is a weighty compendium of crowd-pleasing work. Bright pink chunks of glass sparkle over lily pads in the Fair­child Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables, Fla., while leopard-spotted bronze trumpets rise up through the foliage at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis--as close as man will ever get to making flowers."  Dominique Browning, New York Times Book Review Also Available: Chihuly 2018 Wall Calendar (ISBN: 978-1-4197-2599-9), Chihuly 2018 Weekly Planner (ISBN: 978-1-4197-2598-2), Chihuly 2019 Wall Calendar (ISBN: 978-1-4197-3093-1), Chihuly 2019 Weekly Planner (Engagement Calendar) (ISBN: 978-1-4197-3094-8)

One of the premier private collections of contemporary craft, the Nancy and David Wolf Collection features outstanding creations by the foremost artists working in craft media today, including Howard Ben Tré, Dale Chihuly, William Morris, Wendell Castle, David Ellsworth, Virginia Dotson, Michael Lucero, Michelle Holzapfel, Theman Statom, Ginny Ruffner, Akio Takamori, and Betty Woodman. Outside the Ordinary: Contemporary Art in Glass, Wood, and Ceramics from the Wolf Collection introduces audiences to sixty-seven masterworks selected from this vast collection, carefully documented and photographed in full color. At the heart of this seminal publication are an in-depth interview with collectors Nancy and David Wolf conducted by Amy Miller Dehan and a scholarly essay by contemporary craft authority and critic Matthew Kangas. Dehan's interview reveals the collectors' impetus and strategies for assembling this important collection, and Kangas's essay addresses the history, growth, and future of the contemporary craft movement -- with a particular focus on glass, wood, and ceramics. Outside the Ordinary focuses on the role, development, and perspective of the private collector within the context of the ever-evolving contemporary craft movement. With more than sixty-seven color plates of artwork from the highly regarded Wolf Collection, it makes a significant and stunning addition to any library.