The glass artist Dale Chihuly has said that his intention is “always to create unexpected experiences†and, with “Chihuly in the Desert,†an exhibition with installations in two iconic Sonoran Desert locations — the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Ariz., and Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright’s home and school in Scottsdale — he’s done just that. The latter location is particularly noteworthy because Chihuly, who grew up in Tacoma, Wash., and now lives in Seattle, has cited Frank Lloyd Wright’s work as an important influence on his own. Among the six three-dimensional glass pieces at Taliesin West are “Red Reeds & Niijima Floats†(2021), which largely consists of dozens of slender fiery red pieces that rise from the surface of a pond on the grounds, and from the adjacent patch of lawn, and “Alabaster and Amber Spire Towers†(2018), a grouping of spiky, cactus-like forms that seem to have sprung up organically. Over at the Desert Botanical Garden, you’ll find lavender “reeds†interspersed with actual cactuses, as well as freestanding sculptures of intricately coiled glass tubes that are thought to be the artist’s most challenging works to date, and his lesser-known works on paper, for which he uses acrylic, watercolor and charcoal. Tickets are available for day and night viewings through June 19, chihulyinthedesert.org.
