Chihuly at the Desert Botanical Garden: April 2009

The Entry

The approach to the botanical garden from the parking lot with our first view of glass

The Chihuly exhibit at the entrance

The same glass display later in the day

The colors harmonize with the natural setting

A close up, art imitates life of the real yucca

As we walked up to the entrance of the botanical garden, the first exhibit caught our eye.

Ottosen Entry Garden

The view from a distance

The centerpiece stands several feet tall

Nearby the centerpiece stands these glass reeds rising from the formal beds

Life imitates art as the aloe flower stem rises and sways in front of the glass

A distance photo, showing cacti in the front including some that resemble the glass

We turned to the right, into the Ottosen Entry Garden. At first, we saw a large mostly centerpiece. Off to the left of that we saw lots of orange reed shapes rising from the various formal beds on different levels.

Desert Wildflower Loop Trail: Butterfly Garden

The first view of this tower of glass

The other side of the tower

A view showing more of the setting it was in

Another photo later in the afternoon with creosote branches in the foreground

There were 4 glass installations along the Desert Wildflower Loop Trail. First up is the Butrerfly Garden and its tower. The wildflowers around this tower were spectacular. Hummingbirds abound as well. This is one of my favorite pieces in the exhibit.

Further Along the Desert Wildflower Loop Trail

A subdued installation of glass near the Shade Garden

This piece, in the Boulder Garden, is named The Moon

The far side of The Moon

Yellow tower

There were 3 other installations along the Desert Wildflower Loop Trail. The large yellow tower im the last photo is probably better suited for evening when it lights up. It consists of neon tubing and is seen from the road outside of the garden. It was one of my least favorite pieces in this exhibit. I liked The Moon. It suited its setting.

Desert Discovery Loop Trail: at the bridge

The left side of this combination of blue reeds spires and floats

The right side

The floats resemble the rounded rocks in the rail of the small bridge, while the reeds and spires mimic the straight leaves of the agave.

Desert Discovery Loop Trail: near the Archer House

Red spires along with black reed shaped glass among the cactus giants

A close up view from the back

The red and black glass was distributed throughout the boojum trees and giant cacti. To give perspective, the tall cactus towered up to 30 feet or so high. The glass was probably 5- 8 feet tall.

A boat of glass floats in a dry wash near the red spires

Some glass floats were not in the boat

Another view in better light

The glass floats could be out of place in the desert but they fit in with the dry wash and the idea of rounded river rock common to our desert. The colors harmonize with the tones of the desert.

Desert Discovery Loop Trail: near the Webster Center

The first view of this installation

From the front the glass rises from the prickly pear cactus

The title of this one was something about scorpions. It seemed to fit with the color and how it taped to a fine point like the stinger of a scorpion.

Who can resist a Mammilaria cactus garden?

Desert Oasis

Some type of resin float resembling chunks of ice

Along the People and Plants of the Sonoran Desert Loop Trail is a desert oasis. A place of reeds, water and many frogs. The voices of the frogs echoed and got our attention, perhaps more than the crystaline floats of this exhibit. Not among my favorite Chihuly displays.