Exploring Concepts from Soft Robotics — Professor Kari Love

Pat Oleszko: Inflatable Inspiration

The other day I was lucky enough to go to The Sculpture Center in Long Island City for work — I am helping with a quick Arduino gig. Lo and behold I walked in to see a plethora of inflatable works by Pat Oleszko. The title of the work is Fool Disclosure.

The pieces are constructed with colorful bonded nylon and inflated via big high-volume blowers. I got to see the works activated and rise into form.

Pat Oleszko inflatable sculpture at the Sculpture Center
Pat Oleszko sculpture mid-inflation Pat Oleszko sculpture mid-inflation, second view Pat Oleszko sculpture more fully inflated

The work itself was beautiful, but I was also excited to see this timer which turned on and off a blower motor to create a repeated motion in the inflatable sculpture. Apparently the original piece had some complex series of relays. Now, for this modern showing, they were able to get this off-the-shelf module.

Off-the-shelf timer module controlling the blower motor

Another piece I really enjoyed is partially visible here — the large torso in the back. I took this photo from the website of the Brooklyn Rail. The title is Red Dick, 1993.

Sculpture Center gallery view showing Red Dick in the background

Photo: Brooklyn Rail

I was told that at one point, viewers of the work could enter inside, as there is an interior. Apparently the zipper broke, so now viewers can just peek. Below is another photo posted by the Brooklyn Rail of what I saw.

Interior of Red Dick inflatable sculpture

Photo: Brooklyn Rail

It is exciting to think of sculpture as having an interior visitors can experience. Oleszko's work is massive and takes full advantage of the modularity of shape provided by the inflatable form.