Fiori Di Como Case

This paper is a formal analysis of the art work, Fiori di Como. The artist of this work is Dale Chihuly and he is assisted by artisans in the creation of his blown glass pieces. This piece was created in the year 1998 at the artist's studio in Washington state, and it now resides at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. A critical analysis will disclose the elements of design and the principles of design which Dale Chihuly chose to use to create this beautiful work, and it will give us some insight into his reason for doing so. In general Chihuly's works are abstract works of a conceptual nature which relate to alternate objects in our everyday life and lend a chance to change our perception of our environment.(2)

I will begin the discussion of the Elements of Design with the element, line. Chihuly creates a curvilinear line in his multiple part piece which runs throughout the blown glass work. Sometimes the edges of the individual parts are darker and sometimes there are additional lines that are contour in the glass, as well as the addition of striations in the glass. When the pieces are overlapping as they are, they also have a transparent quality about them which allows one to see the edge lines etc. through the different pieces.

When I consider the color of Fiori di Como I am amazed at the carnival like feeling he has achieved by using mainly the primary colors and an occasional secondary color. Since it is a multiple part piece, each piece is a separate color such as yellow, red, blue, green, and orange. As I mentioned before the separate pieces overlap and they are transparent glass so the color changes as you view one piece of glass through another one.

When I consider what the actual piece would feel like in texture, I know that the glass is very smooth and it would be very pleasing, and probably even cool to the touch. As you would run your fingers over the shape you wonder what he had in mind when he created these shapes. They are round in shape with some rippling on the edge of each piece. Each piece sort of has a center and that would lend a connection to flowers in nature or even jelly fish. Not that it has to have a name or be determined to look like something in particular, but that these natural things that we relate to are sort of joyful in nature as the piece creates that emotion in us as the viewer.

The way the value of lights and darks occurs in this piece is indicative of the placement of one