It was the spirit of experimentation that led Dale Chihuly to work with all 300 colors available in his hotshop to create the Macchia series. For this series, he created a unique process that allowed him to contrast the interior and exterior colors without blending them together—a predominant characteristic of this vibrant series. Commenting on the development of this series, Chihuly said that “when we unloaded the ovens in the morning, there was a rush of seeing something I had never seen before.”
The Brandywine Macchia illustrates Chihuly’s passion for color. The base element, golden-colored on the outside, features a gently rolled lip exposing the deep purple interior of the Macchia. Flecks of blue and red along the exterior and a rich teal lip wrap add further contrast and dimension capturing the sculpture’s graceful undulations. The intricately detailed interior element extends the intimate dialogue between color and form that is at the heart of this work.
The 2013 Chihuly Workshop Studio Edition is eleven inches across and signed by the artist. The edition is shipped with a Plexiglas case for display; a copy of Chihuly alla Macchia, a fifty-two-page publication with full-color photographs of Chihuly’s Macchia glass and drawings, completes the ensemble.
The Brandywine Macchia is a quintessential example of the artist’s desire to explore and experiment with color.