Chihuly's colors

I just came back from seeing an amazing exhibit of Dale Chihuly, a glass blowing artist, at the de Young museum in San Francisco. For those of you in the vicinity, I highly suggest checking it out. Very accessible art, Chihuly creates glass forms like you've never seen before.
There is a great flickr slideshow you can check out, too.
To give you a greater appreciation for the process behind how these pieces were conceived and created, there's a documentary called Chihuly in the Hotshop that I believe you can rent.
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To get an idea of scale, these things are huge- much wider than one person could wrap his arms around.
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The riot of color is intense, and to really appreciate the nuances, you really have to give each piece a chance to sink in. Otherwise, it can be rather overwhelming. The emphasis here is obviously on theatrical impact.
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But I love the subtleties that emerged once you really took in each object on its own. Just lovely.

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Each room showcased items from a particular series. Can you see how enormous these things are?
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This one was called Tabac baskets, and were modeled after Native American woven baskets, both in their slumped forms, textural drawings, and subdued natural tones. A total departure from the dayglo colors of all his other series.

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A bit like stepping into a Dr. Seuss book, don't you think? Wild colors, crazy twirly swirly shapes... My question is, how the heck is that balanced not to tip over? Can't you just see this color combo in a child's playroom or brightly colored throw pillow?
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This gondola was literally exploding with insane glass pieces. Displayed on black glass with dramatic lighting, the overall look was quite striking.
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Love the contrasts created here with the saturated lilac stems against greyish-brown wood. It's the juxtapositions that really make this work.
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These balls were based on the Japanese fishing floats. But on a much grander scale, sometimes up to 40" in diameter, and up to 80 pounds each.
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Notice the pairing of brights next to more muted tones, lights next to darks, small balls beside larger ones? The contrasts really help add to the dramatic impact of these designs. Something to think about when you are doing your own designs.

Which is your favorite? Why do you like those particular colors?