Chihuly at Litvak

It isn't often that I get to see a really great exhibition. Living far away from the grandparents means that any day out almost always involves the whole family and, since the whole family comprises three males and me, family days out usually mean picnics, football games, adventure activities, hiking... you get the picture?
On Tuesday it was different though. On Tuesday it was my birthday and I got to choose!
We dropped the boys off at school and I had already worked out that hubbie and I had just enough time to hop on the train to Tel Aviv to see the Dale Chihuly exhibition at the Litvak Gallery, drink a cup of coffee and be back at school in time to pick youngest son up! Phew! A bit of a rush maybe, but so worth it.

Through the end of July the Litvak Gallery is exhibiting the works of the famous glass artist Dale Chihuly. The gallery has made it its mission to promote glass art in Israel. Nearly 100 works from Chihuly’s various series are presented there including his Seaforms, Persians, Macchia, Jerusalem Cylinders, Venetians, Ikebana and Baskets, as well as drawings. Ten large installations have been created specifically for the gallery.

Chihuly’s has a longstanding relationship with Israel. He spent a period of his life on a kibbutz and has stated that his time on the kibbutz in 1962 is what made him comprehend the values of hard work and even changed the course of his life. In 1999 a large-scale exhibition showcasing his work opened at the Tower of David Museum in Jerusalem to celebrate the millennium and 3000 years of Jerusalem. The exhibition enjoyed incredible success and now, a decade later, the name Chihuly continues to draw in the crowds.

The exhibition is not large - a little over an hour was sufficient for us to really take it all in - but what it lacked for in size, it truly made up for in quality. Chihuly's colorful works come alive there. My own personal favourites were the Tiger Marlins group (above) which seemed to dance in the niche they were created for and also the organic shapes, colour and transparency of the Baskets, inspired by traditional Native American baskets.
Much has been written about Chihuly’s great contribution to the development of glass as a medium for sculpture and installation but in the end it was the power and sheer glory of his work that entranced me.
Chihuly at Litvak. Not a bad way to spend a birthday.