BLOW UP II

Inflatable Contemporary Art

October 31, 2020 through January 31, 2021

On view in the Atrium, Blackmon, Goldman, Richard, and Rushton Stakely Galleries

Overview

BLOW UP II: Inflatable Contemporary Art explores the imaginative ways that air is used as a tool to create large-scale sculptures. The artists of the nine inflatable installations 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.

Photograph of the 2020 installation of the exhibition BLOW UP II: Inflatable Contemporary Art at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Montgomery, Alabama.

The artists of the nine inflatable installations translate everyday materials and imagery into larger-than-life, yet nearly lighter-than-air, art that is rich with meaning.

Organizer

BLOW UP II: Inflatable Contemporary Art was organized by Bedford Gallery, Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek, CA

Sponsor

This exhibition was sponsored locally by River Region Parents; Laurie J. Weil, DVM, and Dr. Tommy Wool; and Carol and Alfred J. Newman, Jr., with additional support provided by co-sponsors Peggy and Maurice Mussafer, Camille Elebash-Hill and Inge Hill, and Harmon Dennis Bradshaw, Inc.