The Creators Project: Great big bouncy castles, open-air pavilions on urban waterfronts, smiling, glowing celestial bodies, and kinetic, floating architectural gardens. When it comes to the massive, illuminated, inflatable and interactive sculptural installations by LA-based art collective FriendsWithYou, public art is a second childhood. Coast to coast and around the world, their brightly hued, beautifully illuminated, inflatable shapes and characters pop up to enhance cultural gatherings and celebrate public rituals, from summer concerts to moon festivals.
10 comments:
These installations are beautiful. It's such a simple idea, using balloons and colors to promote happiness, but done in a unique way. I can think of a lot of event that could be brightened up by an installation. I wonder however the marketing behind this company and the cost. I can't imagine the creating of a single balloon is cheap, then also the transportation the actually rigging of it, the air, the artists themselves, and the eclectricity all add up fast. While I think this is good for communities and events I wonder if the outcome is enough to surpass the cost. If it is going to an event that is not free publicly then maybe their is a chance for profit, but I can't image a business plan that allows for profit and for this company to grow and continue. I completely support the work and idea, however I wonder what happens beyond it for the board of directors and how this is going to hold up in the long run.
Although the word "scale" is tossed around multiple times in this article as being important in some cases and arbitrary in others, I personally feel based off of all the photos provided that it is extremely important to all of these pieces. The phrase "second childhood" particularly solidified my opinion on this matter because I think the exaggerated scale helps to make the viewer feel smaller, as a child does when facing the world before them. Through this, the viewer becomes more absorbed in the installation, allowing them to shut off their perception of the outside world and increase their sense of wonder through imagination. Thus the happy, serene mood of the pieces is made more palpable, adding yet another layer to the second childhood experienced by both the artists and the audience. There is a cyclical nature to this which without the scale at hand would not be possible. Although no smaller pieces by the collective are featured in the photos, I imagine there would be some other element to them which would have to make up for scale if the effect of the "second childhood" were intended to be preserved. All in all, though it could still be argued that scale is arbitrary, I myself find it entirely essential to the pieces pictured, and would love to experience them in person in order to feel the full effect.
I can't get enough of trendy, light infused public art installations and I think this company in particular is really capturing the spirit of what makes a public art installation so eye catching and trendy and exciting. The bright colors and the fact that they use inflatables I think really captures the spirit of a modern era where we expect a certain amount of visible technological features in our art. I also find it interesting that FriendsWithYou mentioned scale in the article, because I also feel as though scale is one of the most critical features to a successful public art installation, and inflatables as a medium is definitely the way to go to create a piece massive in scale while still being able to engage simpler and more streamlined production process. At the heart of it, I also think that the inflatable design also reminds us of a more modern future, and certainly brings to mind the inflatable robots initially developed on CMU's campus that were the hot topic of conversation two years ago with the release of Big Hero 6. Something about them just feels very modern.
Many light or light themed installations often go unnoticed because they are unable to cut through everything else going on at a particular location or event. I think that these in particular have found a way to stand out without needing to take up a majority of the available space. I think this ability stems from the inflatable aspect; it allows them to float above what is going on which both attracts attention and take up less space. The other striking thing about this, to me, is the impact these can have during the day as well as at night. So many light installations are limited to nighttime events due to their inability to be seen in daylight, but these can stay up for a multiple day event without needing to be hidden or altered during the day. I also think their use of marketing through pop culture references and other media allows multiple demographics of people to access this work, especially in this digital era and makes their message much stronger. They have managed to combine extremely simple shapes and forms with new technology to create both a different form of art as well as something that people in general will just be able to enjoy and be a part of.
Public art has such a special place in my heart. I am a huge fan of immersive and interactive art, so whenever I see public art installations it warms my core because I sincerely believe that art is for everybody. Public art has the ability to bring together people from all backgrounds, all occupations. It is not discriminating and more often than not, it will always enhance your day. I think that these light-based installations are wonderful because light has the ability to capture and shape many of our moods without our conscious knowledge. Light doesn't get enough credit for the amount of influence it has on us day-to-day and to see it being utilized in a way where it can't be ignored is important. However, like Ali mentioned above, many light installations are limited to the night time due to the nature of the medium. Even with that in mind, I think there is some wonder involved in watching an installation change over the course of the day and how lighting can affect an installation.
I love light art, and I love this group’s concept of creating a childlike world through the colors, balloons, and scale. Basically as an artwork alone, I think it’s great, but I don’t think that it is as successful as an installation. Some of the balloons on the ground cross and look like simplified structures at a similar height to the ferris wheel. The moon doesn’t appear to have any comparable structures around, it is just an individual piece. At least in my opinion, these aspects of the installation make sense. However, the floating balloons and some of the other balloons scattered on the ground don’t seem to consider the space. From the photos, the balloons appear to be too spread out, which I think throws off the balance. It’s possible that the designers needed to leave additional space between balloons because of the large crowds at a music festival or adding more was a cost issue. I’m also wondering how the size of the balloons and the space between them feels up close and in person (as it was likely designed to be viewed) as opposed to in these photos. I have no idea what material these balloons are made of, but I would like to know how long they can be left up and what they do with the balloons after the event is over. Can they be used again? Is there some other recycling system?
At first glance, I really like how these sculptures seem to go over the whole event. The idea they were trying to achieve of creating an extension of the architecture is really interesting and adds the element of fantasy to their piece.The height and the size of the sculptures seem to make you feel small and child-like. It adds fun to the entire event. I think its really cool that the artists take these sculptures to a variety of events and gatherings. I think it's really interesting how they are using these big sculptures to create a feeling of serenity. All aspects of the sculptures- their size, color, shape- help transport their audience back to their childhood. I think the added aspect of light takes that even further because it is reminiscent of a child's night light. Overall, I think these sculptures give the audience a refreshing take to public art installations.
I think this type of art is really quite interesting. The installation is so incredible and light hearted that it makes great commentary as what we as society like to see. I think the vibrancy in colors and shapes make the piece that more thought provoking and intriguing. I look forward to seeing more pieces like this, especially when heading into the Line and Form project in Susan Tsu's class. I agree with Vanessa, when she mentions how the audience is being brought back to their childhood. I love that feeling of really beautiful and simplistic work that helps serve as a reminder of who we are. I think this piece does that beautifully.
I think that in the art scene of today, and even parts of the entertainment industry, are sometimes too focused on trying to give their art some kind of serious, deeper meaning. As we go from childhood through adolescence and ultimately into adulthood, the media targeted at us loses that sense of carefree fun that is exhibited in these instillations. Granted this happens because as we mature we typically want the media we consume to also match our own level of maturity, but the sheer simplicity and serenity in this instillation is what makes it perfect for these events. The fact that these "balloons" don't need any actual structure other than emitting colorful lights and floating around is what makes their impact so effective. It's free floating path creates it's own constantly changing composition and is interesting to think about in the midst of Susan Tsu's line and form project, as Zak had mentioned before.
I’ve seen some installations using large lit-up sculptures, but I hadn’t seen something like this before, where the sculptures are even floating in the air. I think these sculptures do a good job of creating an imaginative ambience even in big outdoor spaces. I like the idea that these light up inflatables can be used to “decorate” and accompany other visuals for outside gatherings, where it can sometimes be hard to create a complete visual without going to extreme lengths (since there’s so much space and existing visual elements). I appreciate that creators FriendswithYou view these pieces as more than just visual elements but works with the potential to create experiences and emotional responses for viewers. Creating visuals that engage viewers can be crucial to creating a cohesive event experience. I’m also glad that they hope their work will help to bring people together in fantastical ways, because I think we could always use a bit more magic. As Michelle mentions in her comment, the fact that this is public art and a public experience is also meaningful – it’s a shared experience among viewers that gives people common ground and brings them together.
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