Chihuly 3

"Blue Fiori" is the centerpiece of the exhibition.

"Blue Fiori" sits in a little inlet from the lake.

It is visible from three different sides and is endlessly fascinating.

"El Sol Citron" is the symbol of the show.  It sits on a shelf or landing above the footpath,

and so in the morning it looks like the sun rising above you.  On Saturday, a wedding took

place up here while I was around.  Chihuly has created other "suns;" we had one here in Miami 

five years ago, but it emphasized orange and red along with the yellow.  This time it is pure 

yellow and white.  Remember, each piece began as a bubble of blown glass at the end

 of a blow-pipe.

In the afternoon sun, "El Sol" was brilliant in color.

Here, you can see details of "El Sol," including the twisting hornet forms in yellow.

"El Sol Citron" is sited so that you can see it along an allee of trees from the

outdoor butterfly garden.

The "Amethyst Icicle Tower" is regal looking; here the light shrines THROUGH it.

It was amusing to watch an egret in this area follow a man like a pet poodle.  As the man walked,

he stirred up little lizards on the ground, who jumped - right into the egret's mouth.

Never saw it before.

Here the sun shines ON the "Amethyst Icicle Tower."

Remember, each "icicle" began as a soft molten bubble and was then drawn out to the icicle

shape, but is still hollow.

A number of individual bowls were for sale in the gallery.

"Blue Persian with Orange Lip"

Green and Pink Persian with Red Lip

Large Bowl

"Nested Persians"

"Citron Polyvitro Tower"

Chihuly has developed, with chemists, a new plastic which he is using for large

sculptures where glass would be too heavy.  This tower is very light in weight.

The largest of the installations is the "Blue Mille Fiori."  It is anchored at one end by the

"Sapphire Star" in the reflecting pool.  There are then two large sections of sculptures

going all the way down to the lake.

"Blue Mille Fiori" from the lake.

"Sapphire Star" and reflecting pool.

Some of the individual pieces in "Blue Mille Fiori."  You can recognize reeds and floats

and fiori.

A section of "Bue Mille Fiori."

Another section of "Bue Mille Fiori."

A reflecting pool with "Niijima," named after Japanese fishermen's floats.  The water has

been colored an intense deep black and looks like a mirror reflecting.

"Niijima" and reflecting pool.

"Niijima" and reflecting pool.

These are all made of glass blown on a blow pipe.  No one had ever blown

 such large balls before; it is extremely difficult, and they are very heavy.

"Niijima" and reflecting pool.

"Lavender Reeds" in the Madagascar Exhibit.  Madagascar is a very large island off the

southeast coast of Africa.  It has many plants which are found nowhere else in the world.

Fairchild Gardens has brought several hundred of the plants to this permanent exhibit

in the Gardens.

"Lavender Reeds" in Madagascar Exhibit.

One of the most delightful of the installations is the Reichenbach Fountain

in the courtyard of the Education Building.

These are called "Cobalt Blue Herons" and "Reichenbach Floats."

I love to sit here and study the many different elements.

"Herons" and "Floats" in the Reichenbach Fountain.

Reichenbach Fountain.

Reichenbach Fountain.  The forms look alive.

"Scarlet and Yellow Icicle Tower" stands over 40 feet high.

The "Polyvitro Tower" is another experiment in plastic.  Different colors and surfaces

appear than in the glass, and of course it is light in weight.  This is the lower portion.

Complete "Polyvitro Tower"

"Yellow Asymmetrical Tower" hangs from a tree outside the Gallery.

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This exhibit is very special and very large; I don't know if we will see its likes again.

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