Chihuly at Biltmore
Chihuly Nights
Tuesday, October 2, 2018
Clear, 78°
I want people to be overwhelmed with light and color
in a way they have never experienced. - Dale Chihuly
Starting the trek in April, one of the first places we visited was Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina. One of the things being advertised was a Chihuly exhibition at Biltmore House May 17 through October 7, 2018. This would be during the time period of our “Traveling Life’s Highways - Discovering America” tour. The trip was planned to end in Georgia just before the end of Chihuly’s exhibit in Asheville. So, for several months it was in the back of my head that I might be able to see another exhibit of Chihuly’s work in the unique setting of the Biltmore House and Gardens.
The months and miles went by, (almost five months and 23,500 miles) as I thought about what Chihuly would bring to Biltmore. I expected it to be similar to his Chihuly Nights exhibit at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. In that setting, the lighted displays outside in the garden and inside the greenhouses with the wonderful blown glass chandeliers hanging and lit perfectly were stunning.
Chihuly at Biltmore offers a unique opportunity to experience the artist’s work set within gardens which were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the father of American landscape architecture. The exhibition will feature Chihuly’s large-scale glass sculptures sited throughout the historic Biltmore Estate, including the Winter Garden of the Biltmore House, as well as the Italian Garden and Walled Garden. Chihuly at Biltmore marks the first art exhibition in the Biltmore’s historic gardens and features both daytime and evening viewings. A team of eight engineers and artists worked for weeks on the installation, arriving with six 53-foot tractor-trailers filled with tens of thousands of carefully packed pieces of glass. Several works are making their debut at Biltmore, while others have been displayed before. (https://www.chihuly.com/exhibitions/biltmore/chihuly-biltmore)
The drive from Helen, Georgia, in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains during the first week of October, was beautiful. “Octoberfest” in Helen was in full swing with a five week-long festival of things to do and see. The German inspired, alpine atmosphere and celebration are great but leaving the crowds for a couple of days was nice. The trees in the mountains were just starting to show their fall colors, especially at the higher elevations.
Driving through Tallulah Gorge the leaves were taking on the yellow and red colors giving a vibrant appearance to the landscape. There are rolling hills as you continue driving north through Georgia crossing into North Carolina where the terrain starts to change gradually from rolling fields to mountainous tree covered hillsides. The air was crisp with temperatures in the high sixties and falling into the forties overnight. Arriving at the Biltmore Estate in mid-afternoon, the sky was bright blue with no clouds to be seen from horizon to horizon.
The staff at the Village Hotel near the Winery in Antler Hill Village was efficient and even with many people checking into the hotel it was fast and effortless. The recommendations by the staff were helpful in planning our stay, and maximizing our time at the House, the Chihuly Nights exhibit and the Antler Hill area. The early afternoon was very enjoyable. We went to the Biltmore Winery for the tour and complimentary wine tasting. You can discover your favorite wine and enjoy it by the glass or the bottle at the wine bar. You can also purchase Biltmore Wines and unique accessories in the Wine Shop.
The shuttle over to the main house was filled with a bus load of people excited about seeing Chihuly’s Glass exhibit in this beautiful setting. The bus driver gave information about the Vanderbilt family and how the original massive land purchases were acquired over several years. There were over 11,000 different purchases totaling over 125,000 acres around 1894 but today Biltmore Estate is only 8,000 acres and is still a working farm.
After the initial view of the opulent 250-room mansion’s limestone facade, the impressive and immense, Sole d’Oro (Golden Sun), greets visitors at the head of the long front lawn. A shimmering, soft white-gold sunburst en-robed in a tangle of spiraling tendrils shooting out in every direction, this mesmerizing sculpture has a commanding presence.
"Sole d'Oro" on the front lawn illuminated after sunset
Departing the shuttle, on the left side of the house just above the Italian Garden, there was a gorgeous sunset over what used to be the outdoor swimming pool. Now filled in, there is a pergola overlooking the forests and foothills of the Appalachia.
Sunset view
Before the Chihuly Nights tour began, there was time to view the Italian Garden from above, on the front lawn area, as the sun was setting. The perspective changes intensely from the daylight view to the nighttime view. The colors are there for both but the shadows and contrasts change dramatically once the sun goes down.
Daylight view of Italian Garden “Float Boat”, 2017
Daylight view of Italian Garden “Neodymium Reeds with Fiori Verdi”, 2014
The artist’s large-scale, mind-bending glass sculptures, the stunning natural beauty of the gardens and mountains, and the grandeur of Biltmore House come together to deliver an atmosphere and a feeling like nothing you’ve experienced before. The long walk around the front lawn gave plenty of time for the sun to change the lighting of Biltmore House. The far view from atop a high hill near an elegant marble statue of Diana, this picturesque outdoor location boasts sweeping views of Biltmore House and the Blue Ridge Mountains. The surrounding grove of hemlocks adds an air of exclusivity and a touch of fairy-tale charm. Many people do not take the time to walk up for this view of the house and mountains but is well worth the effort. (www.biltmore.com)
Far view of house with "Sole d'Oro" on the front lawn at sunset
On the front lawn in front of Biltmore House is the big daddy of any Chihuly exhibit, always a sun sculpture. Here’s Sole d’Oro, or Golden Sun which we also saw at the exhibit in the Atlanta Botanical Gardens last year. It is a beautiful piece made of 1,300 hand-blown pieces of glass and weighs over 5,000 pounds.
"Sole d'Oro", 2017 on the front lawn
Leaving the front lawn there were many people who were making their way to the front entrance of the house to start the nighttime tour. Just outside the main house to the right of the entrance on the terrace was “Sky Blue and Cobalt Fiori” (Flowers), 2017 welcoming everyone in an array of blue-hued shoots, orbs, and spirals.
Sky Blue and Cobalt Fiori, 2017
As one enters the grand foyer, the Laguna Torcello (Torcello Lagoon; Torcello is a tiny island near Venice, Italy) entices viewers to the fountain of the Winter Garden, a glass-roofed solarium encircled with palm trees and other lush plants, that features the only Chihuly piece inside the house. The twisting glass shoots of amber, white, and gold remind one of sea anemones, spiraling upward from the water pulling the eye towards the marble and bronze centerpiece sculpture, Boy Stealing Geese. This piece was created solely for the exhibit at Biltmore and represents Chihuly’s love of water and Venice. It is so intricate and so beautiful that you feel drawn to walk around the sculpture to look at it from every possible angle.
Laguna Torcello II, 2018 in the Winter Garden solarium
As you circle your way around the grand foyer the Chihuly piece takes on different highlighted viewpoints. The reflections in the fountain water of the white and amber glass gives a shimmering quality to the beautiful glass work above. Everyone around seemed spellbound by the beauty of the glass.
As we made our way outside, the darkness had taken over the path that leads to the elegant Italian Garden, where there are three symmetrical pools accented by sculptures and grassy panels. The “Float Boat” languidly sits in the first of the pools - a rustic, wooden dinghy packed overflowing with large speckled and streaked glass orbs in rich, vibrant colors and various sizes. As if they tumbled out of the boat, even more of these large glass marbles, called Niijima Floats (Niijima is a Japanese island), dot the serene water laden with Victorian lily pads and Japanese koi swimming about.
“Float Boat”, 2017
In the middle pool of the Italian Garden stood, Palazzo Ducale Tower which was made in 1996 representing several decades of Chihuly’s work. I love his blown glass towers as each one can be in different colors. The large yellow one in Atlanta, the Saffron Tower, was at least 30 feet tall and this tower in white was about twelve feet tall with its reflection in the calm water. It was encircled by pink lights in the plants that gave contrast to the white tower in the black water.
Palazzo Ducale Tower, 1996
There were many people strolling around the Italian Garden taking pictures and talking about what they saw in the different glass pieces. It was interesting that everyone seemed to like the Float Boat and the floating glass balls. At the far end of the Garden was the last pool with two sculptures, the Fiori Boat, 2017 and the Neodymium Reeds with Fiori Verdi, 2014.
Neodymium Reeds with Fiori Verdi, 2014.
I loved the green and purple combination as it looked great with all the lily pads surrounding it.
The last sculpture in the Italian Garden was Fiori Boat, created in 2017. This was an array of colorful curvilinear vines, straight-edged reeds, and luscious bulbs in red, yellow, and orange.
Fiori Boat, reflections, and water lilies
Truly, the Italian Garden alone was a mesmerizing feast for the eyes. Spending some time here, drinking it all in was wonderful with the views of Biltmore House just above the walls in the background.
It was a leisurely stroll to the Pergola, an archway with lichen-covered walls and winding wisteria vines, which would provide shade during the daytime. Chihuly’s art at Biltmore is a dramatic contrast of centuries-old gardens and modern glass sculptures. The glass art was in the gardens during spring, summer, and fall against the backdrop of ever-changing colors and plants. As you walk along the wall, one will see displayed four marble busts. Each represents a season of the year and is flanked by glass installations in organic shapes and cool-colored hues, called the Pergola Garden Fiori.
The Pergola once served as a resting place overlooking a lawn tennis court popular with Edith and Cornelia Vanderbilt and their friends. In 1919, Edith asked Chauncey Beadle, estate superintendent, to convert the original “lawn” court to a clay court; the court was later removed.
Now, this space offers a cool and quiet passageway to the Shrub and Walled Gardens and a location for four marble busts nestled along the stone wall. Look carefully to discover that the quartet represents the four seasons: Spring with flowers, Summer with wheat, Fall with fruit and grapes, and Winter with wind. (https://www.biltmore.com/blog/article/enjoying-the-shady-pergola)
The first two groupings were also seen in Atlanta, here at Biltmore in a totally different setting.
Blue Reeds
Purple and Blue Reeds
The next grouping was brown, white, and black pieces of blown glass spiraling upwards and curving intertwined with each other. There were also big colored balls on the ground next to the wall and statues.
Brown and black glass
Below the Fall sculpture, however, was an arrangement that really stood out from the others. It was a group in warm colors (bright red, orange, and yellow) of vertical, rounded shoots that looked like a cadre of hooded cobras standing guard. This was my first impression; which is open too many interpretations.
“Cobra Glass”, 2018
The next to see, looked like green and black snakes rising up from the ground making shadows on the wall behind them. I believe these were in the Greenhouses in Atlanta.
Green and black “Snake” reeds
The leftmost display was new, vibrant blue stalks about four feet tall that terminated with what looked like water droplets on the ends. They were very beautiful and something I really liked as they were pleasing and calming to look upon.
Blue water droplet reed-like blown glass pieces, 2018
The walk down the paths to the Walled Gardens was not lit very well for nighttime viewing but on one of the paths there was the Shrub Garden with two groups of Red Reeds on the hillside, some over ten feet tall. This was another display that was used in Atlanta but here with the white lighting at the bases it looked like fire shooting out of the ground as they were about 40 feet away from the sidewalk.
Red Reeds, 2017
During our visit to Biltmore in April, the Walled Garden was filled with tulips in various colors. This visit, the fall garden was filled with colorful mums. There were two towers in the Walled Garden, one on each side. The Biltmore installation included nine new works and compositions which were designed specifically for the exhibition. As you walked down the steps entering the garden on the left, one new blown glass work, the Electric Yellow and Deep Coral Tower, is a classic example of Chihuly’s dramatic stalagmite-like pieces.
Electric Yellow and Deep Coral Tower, 2017
On the other side was Paintbrush Tower, flowers all around with people milling about, it was hard to get photos of this beautiful piece. Walking under the trellis separating the two flower gardens one vantage point was through the vertical oval of the latticework. It took several tries to get a decent picture but I think it worked out.
Paintbrush Tower, 2014 looking through latticework oval opening.
From the top of the steps leading down to the Conservatory, Dale Chihuly’s Cattails and Copper Birch Reeds were on display. Placed on each side of the walkway to the door of the Conservatory the lighting was mixed into the base of the reeds projecting the red and copper colors with the planted vegetation blended into the piece.
Cattails and Copper Birch Reeds, 2015
Once down the stairs, the vibrant red colors on the swirling and curvy pieces gave a whimsical Christmassy look to things.
Close-up view
Chihuly made his first Reeds in 1995 at the Hackman factory in Nuutajärvi, a small glassblowing town in Finland. The Hackman facility had high ceilings and large annealing ovens, allowing Chihuly to make these elongated forms. To create the long, tubular shape of a Reed, one glassblower must be elevated in a mechanical lift while blowing through the pipe to encourage the form to stretch, while another pulls the glass toward the ground. Neodymium Reeds with Fiori Verdi incorporates reeds that were made at the Hackman factory in Nuutajärvi. The Red Reeds are installed into the ground to a depth of 12-18 inches. (https://www.chihuly.com/exhibitions/biltmore/chihuly-biltmore)
In the Conservatory, there were three hanging chandeliers. The placement was a little awkward as the first piece was almost missed if you did not look straight up to find it. There were no markers naming the piece or arrows to direct your view and with the dense vegetation, it was difficult to see around the building. All three chandeliers looked roughly the same.
Burnished Amber, Citron, and Teal Chandeliers, 2017
The Conservatory installation was a little disappointing as so much more could have been done to bring out the beauty of this beautiful structure and the tropical plants found inside.
Upside down flowers
Incorporating some of the reeds and other glass pieces could have made this area really vibrant and pop. As you walked around and through the Conservatory, it was easy to miss the beautiful glass art hanging above the canopy of plants and flowers.
Overall, Chihuly Nights at Biltmore was another beautiful display of colorful blown glass art by Dale Chihuly and his creative staff. Putting on this exhibit was two years in planning between the Biltmore and Chihuly teams to create this wonderful sensory filled experience in Southern Appalachia.
Back at Antler Hill and the Winery, there were two additional Chihuly pieces. Between the Creamery and Antler Hill Outfitters was Alabaster and Amber Spire Tower. In the courtyard setting, this piece shone brilliantly as the white and amber spikes of the four spires contrasted to the dark of the night and the distant mountains in the daytime. It was probably my favorite piece and a surprise as I missed it while parking the car earlier.
Alabaster and Amber Spire Tower, 2017
The last Chihuly piece was found at the courtyard fountain just downhill from the Hotel and Winery. Rising up out of the fountain’s water, the Turquoise and Erbium Fiori was elegant and in the quiet at this time of night, the sounds of the fountains made this piece really stand out.
Turquoise and Erbium Fiori, 2017
The peaceful, calm, and serene ambiance of the fountain provided a great spot to end this beautiful day while Traveling Life’s Highways.
On hand for tomorrow, a quick side trip for lunch at the new Margaritaville Resort in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. I know someone, me, has to check it out and get another hat and t-shirt!