A glass act at Kew; Sculpture exhibition is burst of colour for Gardens

The Evening Standard (London, England) 5/19/2005



Byline: FLORA STUBBS

AT FIRST glance they could be strange, exotic flowers.

But look closer. These colourful forms, which come curling through greenery and twisting out of ponds, are sculptures.

They are part of a new exhibition at Kew Gardens by glass sculptor Dale Chihuly.

The show is the first of its kind to be held at the gardens, and is specifically designed to blend in with its celebrated plants, trees and sweeping landscapes.

The sculptures are set throughout the park's 300-acre site, nestling among the tropical foliage of its glasshouses and interrupting the open vistas of its ponds.

Each work is constructed from thousands of pieces of hand-blown glass and was painstakingly assembled on site. One of the larger exhibits, entitled The Sun At Kew Gardens, stands at over four metres high and is made up of 2,000 lb of glass.

Professor Pete Crane, director of Kew Gardens, said: "Wherever Chihuly and his team work they create a fantastic sense of excitement.

"Gardens of Glass will be an unmissable exhibition of 2005 and we are thrilled to host it."