Venetians

This book presents the most flamboyant and whimsical of all Chihuly's series. The voluptuous glass pieces, shown in full-colour, were inspired by Art Deco Venetian glass during Chihuly's Fullbright scholarship in Venice. With collaboration between Chihuly and glass master Lino Tagliapietra, the series evolved over a period of only seven blowing sessions. Though at their core, the Venetians are vessels of some sort, they explode outward when wrapped with spiralling coils, leaves, feathers, and claws in startling colour combinations. Chihuly chronicles the evolution of the series in his reflective essay included in this volume. His bold and colourful drawings illustrate how the artist guided his team to make these pieces. This oversized book offers a breathtaking view of Chihuly's Venetians, which, more than any other of his series, embody personality and individual character. This book begins with an essay by Ron Glowen.