The Easel

Dale Chihuly at the ROM: Pretty, vacant

What is the dividing line between “pretty” and “art”? Dale Chihuly’s glass sculptures are held in many museum collections but are beset by the same debate that also attaches to Jeff Koons. Although popular, Chihuly’s studio produces a large output and his involvement is only indirect. Is it art? “An embrace of bloated excess for its own sake” concludes this writer.  An interesting video is here (24 min).