UFO: Unbelievably Fantastic Objet (d'art)

Though it is a rare sighting in Toronto, the luminous body pictured on the left is not Joel Black’s UFO. It’s a chandelier by award-winning glass sculptor Dale Chihuly.

Originally from Tacoma, Washington, Chihuly is a highly prolific artist known for massive architectural installations, some of which exceed nine metres in length. Chihuly’s works are found in over 200 museum exhibitions around the world including in the Distillery District’s Sandra Ainsley Gallery, where his motley coloured glass seaforms, cylinders, and baskets can be seen adorning glass cabinets, tables and a piano top.

Among the most spectacular are two gleaming Chihuly chandeliers. The largest of these coral-like wonders is an emerald and gold creation similar to the one in the photo. The chandelier—measuring approximately two metres in length—has been a feature piece at the gallery for the past year but has recently been sold to a private collector for a price in the neighbourhood of US$200,000. This means it will only be available for public viewing until the end of the summer—so go check it out before it takes flight!

Photo courtesy of chihuly.com