Uploaded March 2021 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
This program was recorded on February 25, 2021 with sculptor Nicole Banowetz as she shared her perspective and expertise with the unique medium of inflatable sculpture. Her virtual residency is supported by the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, in conjunction with the exhibition Blow Up II: Contemporary Inflatable Art, organized by the Bedford Gallery at the Lesher Center for the Arts.
BLOW UP II: Inflatable Contemporary Art explores the imaginative ways that air is used as a tool to create large-scale sculptures. The artists in BLOW UP II translate everyday materials and imagery into larger-than-life, yet nearly lighter-than-air art that is rich with meaning, resulting in a wide array of works that are figurative, conceptual, and abstract. Inflatable works are often initially regarded as whimsical or humorous, yet they can contain serious critiques of pop-culture, social norms and the politics of space. BLOW UP II explores the complex relationship between the familiarity of the material combined with serious commentary, creating a dialogue around reinterpretation.
This program was recorded on February 25, 2021 with sculptor Nicole Banowetz as she shared her perspective and expertise with the unique medium of inflatable sculpture. Her virtual residency is supported by the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, in conjunction with the exhibition Blow Up II: Contemporary Inflatable Art, organized by the Bedford Gallery at the Lesher Center for the Arts.
BLOW UP II: Inflatable Contemporary Art explores the imaginative ways that air is used as a tool to create large-scale sculptures. The artists in BLOW UP II translate everyday materials and imagery into larger-than-life, yet nearly lighter-than-air art that is rich with meaning, resulting in a wide array of works that are figurative, conceptual, and abstract. Inflatable works are often initially regarded as whimsical or humorous, yet they can contain serious critiques of pop-culture, social norms and the politics of space. BLOW UP II explores the complex relationship between the familiarity of the material combined with serious commentary, creating a dialogue around reinterpretation.
