Marina Ambromovic has said that in her work she does things simply because they scare her. With a similar motivation, I have installed an inflatable plastic form in a public space on campus. For my independent project I proposed to actualize this inflatable project, as an exercise in doing something in public that makes me feel exposed and uncomfortable.
I gained quite a bit of knowledge from this experiment. I spent several days in the estudio with an iron and lots of plastic, trying to create an airtight inflatable. Due to lack of skill, and unyielding plastic as well as an insufficient bonding method, after many hours, I had still not accomplished my task. I had, however, created some colors and forms out of plastic that I actually liked. So, I finally ventured outside to see what I could do with those forms. I did not believe that there was any way for them to inflate, but once I had arrived with my plastic to an air-producing vent I have been eying all semester, possibilities began to emerge. Engaging with the actual mix of air, plastic and space, I found that it was actually possible to inflate the plastic, and that it didn't need to be airtight. Now that I have this information, I'm excited to try other forms in the future.
I also spent some time in letting the plastic interact with the wind. Photo documentation is included of that as well.
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