So as an afterthought to the last post I did, I want to talk about something related. In my quest for visual evidence I came across this, a Christ carrying the cross balloon sculpture. What better medium to express the passion with?
It is not everyday that I think about this particular medium, so if the English term for it is not balloon fold or folded balloon and that is just a crude one-on-one translation from my own native language, please enlighten me. Thank you Alexia for pointing out that it's called a balloon sculpture. Also, nice kitschy painting there in the background!
Wat ik tot nu toe heb kunnen vinden is 'balloon sculpting'. Mooie work of art trouwens ;)
ReplyDeleteThiiiiiiinx Alex! :)
ReplyDeleteI was actually there when this was made. A fellow balloon artist named Little John took about 10 hours to create it for a balloon competition at the Fellowship of Christian Magicians Conference in Indiana. I can say with confidence that his heart was in the right place, as was mine as a fellow competitor, and we both did very well in the competition. As a Christian, I take my faith and the sacrifice of my Lord very seriously, and there is nothing funny about using my talents as a balloon artist -- talents He gave me -- to honor HIm. I, too, have created balloon representations of Christ on the cross: one version takes about 10 minutes to complete, and another that takes several hours to get just right. Churches have specifically requested these creations from me, and they have proven to be valuable teaching tools in describing what Christ's sacrifice looked like, the punishment He suffered on our behalf, and the shame that He bore. You may say that this is a "weak" or shallow medium for displaying the single most important moment in all of human history, and I would agree if the result is a happy or cartoonish crucifixion. Personally, I spent two years developing my own techniques to show a painful, sorrowful face because I want people to feel connected to the truth of that moment in history. You may say that balloons are merely toys, but that is a great disservice to those of us who have been called to use this creative tool as a ministry outreach. Balloon sculpture is a tedious and delicate art form and should not be discounted as a powerful means of communicating God's truths in our everyday lives.
ReplyDeleteTim Thurmond
The Balloon Sculptor
www.TheBalloonSculptor.com
p.s. the painting in the background is at the host location of Indiana Wesylian University and the painting is of the major donors of the performance art center and who it is named after.