Sunday, May 25, 2014

The Deinstallation


The deinstallation of the Chihuly exhibit at the Desert Botanical Garden began last Monday.  I went there to see what I could see but on Monday they only worked on the neon lights the ran up the side of that mountain behind the piece pictured above.  (You can barely see them in the photo to the left of the Scarlet and Yellow Icicle Tower.)  While I was there, I found out that the deinstallation would take place slowly over the span of around two weeks.  So I started going every other day to see what I could see.
Yesterday morning when I was there, they were working on the Scarlet and Yellow Icicle Tower.























I saw the workmen being raised in a cherry picker so they could start removing the glass pieces one at a time and place them in the boxes that are in the lift with them.


They made pretty good progress in the short time I was there.


Around 5:30 I decided to head out there again and see what had been accomplished.  The Scarlet and Yellow Icicle Tower had been picked clean!

I've got a few more photos to show you over the next few days.  It's interesting watching them work and seeing how some of the pieces are put together.
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18 comments:

  1. FilipBlogMay 25, 2014 at 1:16 AM

    What a strange thing. I like it but probably not in this setting.

    Greetings,
    Filip

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  2. AnonymousMay 25, 2014 at 1:28 AM

    Fascinating, and very painstaking I imagine!

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  3. Julie ScottsdaleDailyPhoto.comMay 25, 2014 at 1:51 AM

    very cool images Sharon! we always love seeing your photos and talking about what you are doing.

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  4. KarlMay 25, 2014 at 2:17 AM

    Beautiful images, Sharon, but why do they deinstall these artworks? They could remain there as a permanent exhibit, why not?

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  5. LowellMay 25, 2014 at 3:08 AM

    That's amazing. What a job it must be to take those things apart. You wouldn't want any "oopsies"!

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  6. KateMay 25, 2014 at 4:03 AM

    I've watched a Chihuly installation in the past, which was fascinating but her a dismantling. Both are painstakingly slow and careful tasks.

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  7. cieldequimperMay 25, 2014 at 4:51 AM

    That's very impressive. Until now, stupidly enough, I had never wondered about how it's done...

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  8. BirdmanMay 25, 2014 at 5:57 AM

    Now, this would be interesting as all heck to watch. It's even beautiful coming down.

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  9. JudyMay 25, 2014 at 8:31 AM

    Not a job you would want to rush. It's interesting seeing how they are put together.

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  10. glendaMay 25, 2014 at 9:43 AM

    This is quite the project!

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  11. UnknownMay 25, 2014 at 12:47 PM

    It is as though they are harvesting it piece by piece. It is so much larger than it appears at first glance!

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  12. William KendallMay 25, 2014 at 2:17 PM

    Very colourful!

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  13. RedPatMay 25, 2014 at 5:43 PM

    Fabulous, Sharon! What an interesting structure underneath it all - very useful to see.

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  14. RandyMay 25, 2014 at 8:09 PM

    I hope they didn't break any.

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  15. Steve ReedMay 25, 2014 at 10:52 PM

    It IS interesting to see the structure beneath the sculpture. I wonder what the rate of breakage is?!

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  16. ThérèseMay 26, 2014 at 5:16 AM

    Captivating. I am so glad you are able to watch all these steps of deinstallation. Your beautiful last pic of the icicle tower looks really like a colored boojum tree!

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  17. PerthDailyPhotoMay 26, 2014 at 5:43 AM

    How totally amazing Sharon.. gosh all that work to put together AND take apart.. hopefully they were up there long enough to warrant all that work.

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  18. JackMay 26, 2014 at 7:29 PM

    I wonder where this will go next. I strongly suspect that these pieces will be used again. Chihuly is very much a capitalist.

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