Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Giant Inflatables: A Houston Vernacular

I should perhaps say a vanishing Houston vernacular, since rules on giant inflatables have been adopted by City Council that will limit their use. But as a long-standing part of our visual landscape, I think it is incumbent on our artists to explore the artistic possibilities of inflatables.

Jet Creations is a fabricator of inflatables. It looks like they have lots of off-the-shelf designs. For example:

http://www.jetcreations.com/images/stories/menu/lifelike.jpg

(I don't think the sexy model is part of the product line, though.)

And perhaps most amazing (at least to me) are the inflatable costumes.

http://www.jetcreations.com/images/stories/costumewww.jpg
You can get off the shelf an inflatable "soul brother" with comb in his afro.

OK, I am joking around, but really I see a lot of artistic possibilities here where an artist either hires a firm like Jet Creations to fabricate an inflatable piece of art, or simply figures out how to do it herself. We're a city that loves its giant inflatable gorillas. I think we, as a city, might enjoy some giant inflatable art--in whatever form it might take.

2 comments:

  1. I've never heard the word vernacular used in such a fashion. You must be referring more in terms of an "architecture" style than anything linguistic.

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  2. Yes, I am stretching the architectural term "vernacular," which typically means local building and decoration styles using local materials to meet local needs in a customary way. Houston businesses meet their need to be noticed from the freeway by using inflatables.

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