Chris Ahalt
Bison
2017

Name: Bison
Brand: Chris Ahalt
Price: 8000 USD
Availability: InStock

About the Item

Borosilicate Glass. Sculpted in meticulous detail and bright colors, my animal balloon series depicts visually strong animals made fragile by delicately balancing above wire. I’ve created numerous animals from hollow glass including elephants, rhinos, gi- raffes, hippos, polar bears, and whales just to name a few. Hours of intensive work result in deceptively simple animal balloons. They are then sandblasted for a frosted finish, strung up on copper wire with hand-forged ridges emulating real ribbon, and tethered to small weights. The flexibility of the wire enhances the illusion of floating by allowing the balloons to sway back and forth. Balloons, to me, suggest celebration, children and wonder. The iconic animals that I pick appeal to those childlike sensibilities as well. Most of us had a favorite animal as children, and the idea of turning one’s favorite animal into a balloon seems a fitting marriage that is hard to dislike. These animal balloons also metaphorically speak to their fragile lives, many of them endangered. Some of the balloons, such as the rhino, have their legs bound alluding to the precarious environments created for them by humans. I think of these animal balloons as a mixture of playful- ness and harsh reality – homage to not only the iconic beauty of these majestic animals, but also as tribute to the many endangered species that may not survive.

Creator:

Chris Ahalt

Creation Year:

2017

Dimensions:

Height: 21.5 in (54.61 cm)Width: 5.8 in (14.74 cm)Depth: 6 in (15.24 cm)

Medium:

Glass

Period:

2010-

Condition:

Gallery Location: