Portland Fire Books

This book was produced in conjunction with a series of Florida exhibitions in 1993. This book, filled with dozens and dozens of Full Color and full page reproductions in approx. 142 pps., really lays it out for the viewer in a way that, if you were either unfamiliar with or indifferent to Dale Chihuly's work, will make you a convert. Really. I fall into the latter category perhaps because, as the world famous art dealer Henry Geldzahler puts it in the foreward of this book " Chihuly's work is American in its apparent vulgarity, it brazenness and its fearlessness to move farther out west even if there is no further west to move to."
However, when one goes through the varous glass genres that the artist creates, Baskets, Sea Forms, Persians, Venetians, Ikebana, Niijima Floats and Macchia, among others, one begins to appreciate the sheer power and artistry that gets expressed in Chihuly's florid craft. The publishers might have botched the operation if they had cheaped out on the book's production values, fortunately they did not and this 'Made In USA' book can takes its place among any other of your expensive, high-end coffee table (folio sized) art books. As the reviewer states below, there isn't a lot of text here, just an introductory paragraph or two from the artist before each themed chapter but really, the art work says more than enough. I can heartily recommend this book even if you do not collect glass work, and even if you haven't yet cottoned on to Mr. Chihuly's work.

Absolutely amazing!
Chihuly is incredible.
Not much in the way of descriptions, just a brief introduction to each series (Macchia's, Persians, etc.), which I found just enough. What I'm interested in are the actual pieces, and there are plenty of exceptional pictures.
Again, amazing. Truly inspiriational for the novice glass blower and an absolute delight for everyone else!

This book is great for any fan of Chihuly's work, or just anyone who enjoys beautiful art. Not only are Chihuly's works extremely aesthetically pleasing, but they are enchanting and inspirational.

Purchased as a gift for a beginning glass artist, the book is inspiring and beautifully done. It is a great reminder of the exhibits that we have seen.

Love Chihuly's stuff, but can't get to the places his work is at? This book has lots of pictures of his work. (Not as much as the Chihuly project book but not as expensive eather!) Great book for visual people who love glass and color.

Fire * Dale Chihuly, the long-awaited companion book to Chihuly: Form From Fire, showcases the handblown glass sculptures of Dale Chihuly in over one hundred full-color photographs taken across the globe in locations reaching from Jerusalem to Indianapolis; Las Vegas to Chihuly's hometown of Tacoma, Washington. Following his nearly four-decade career, the photographs, selected by Chihuly himself, show the best of each series, offering a comprehensive visual overview of his work.
Fire features Chihuly series such as Fiori, Reeds, and Towers, which did not appear in Chihuly: Form From Fire. Selected quotes from critics, friends, and Chihuly introduce sections dedicated to Ice & Neon, Cylinders, Baskets, Seaforms, Macchia, Persians, Venetians, Ikebana, Niijima Floats, Chandeliers, Reeds, Towers, Jerusalem Cylinders, Fiori, and Installations.
An essay by independent curator Margery Aronson follows Chihuly's career in narrative format and highlights how his efforts have stimulated glassblowing culture around the world and specifically in the Pacific Northwest through programs such as the Pilchuck Glass School, Hilltop Artists-in-Residence, and Seniors Making Art, which have inspired similar programs elsewhere.
A chronology concludes this presentation of the art of Dale Chihuly. Forty-eight additional photographs illustrate Chihuly's life, family, and friends, and the book closes with a complete list of museums where his work can be found.
2006 Hardcover 9 x 12"
176 pages, 101 Color Reproductions

This is a gorgeous coffee table book that allows those of us who cannot afford to by a Chihuly sculpture to own them all. Having seen several Chihuly's in person, this book is the next best thing. Another plus is that it includes a photo of his installation at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis (where I happen to reside). This book was a great way for me to share that with family members that don't live here and intice them to come for a visit.

Good for Chihuly lovers and newbies alike!

A strongly recommended acquisition for academic and community library Art History reference collections, "Fire" is a compendium of superbly presented full-color photographs showcasing a pictorial chronology of the art and artistry of Dale Chihuly and his imaginative and hand-blown glass sculptures. Enhanced for art students and connoisseurs with an informative essay by Margery Aronson (who follows Chihuly's career in narrative format), "Fire" is an impressive sampling survey of the work of an artist who has been displayed in more than 200 museums around the world. Also very highly recommended from Portland Press is the "Chihuly Art Kit" (157684157X, $28.00), which includes an activity book and story, three squirt bottles of non-toxic and washable paint, a watercolor set, three paintbrushes, seven colored pencils, colored paper and stickers, all contained within a handy carrying case. The "Chihuly Art Kit" will help children ages 4 and older to explore color, texture, artistic creativity, all through ten fun-filled activities and project ideas.

Here is a booklet that captures the history and very interesting growth of a busy American Fire Department in the upper NorthWest of our country. Real treasures await the reader regarding the unique apparatus, and brave men and powerful horses from the early days of firefighting. Get a copy for your bookshelf!