Hey everyone! I’m a little late to the party but still sad, nonetheless. Although it’s old news now, so I think you are all aware of the tragedy Jeff Koons’s Balloon Dog suffered shattering on the floor in Florida. That very expensive little fellow will be dearly missed, and to help us get through this in my own fashion, we’re diving into balloon animals on my blog this week!
A fun fact about me (that no one ever asked for) is that when I was a child I took a class on balloon animals and learned how to make them from a clown. I realize that sounds creepy to some, but I enjoyed it! Sometimes I wish that fact wasn’t true, but it is and it is a fun party trick at least!
Surprisingly, the earliest known balloon animals come from the Aztecs! Using animal (and sometimes human) entrails the Aztecs created dog and donkey shaped figures that would be used as offerings to the gods. There are also some written accounts in novels where American settlers would use bloated animal intestines as toys – which is just a little bit gross. Perhaps settler children were a wee bit tougher than I was as a kid, but I don’t think adult me would enjoy that much either!
Rubber balloons weren’t invented until 1824 by Professor Michael Faraday for hydrogen experiments, although rubber balloons did not hold up well in hot or cold climates and were overall finnicky. With the advent of vulcanized rubber, the balloons that we all know and love today officially came to be. There is no known inventor of the balloon animal, but the popularization of the practice could be attributed to a man from Pennsylvania named Herman J. Bonnert, who modelled balloon animals at a magician’s convention in 1939. Around this time other balloon artists such as Frank Zacone and Henry J. Maar were using balloon modeling in their acts, but it is pretty much inferred that the first half of the 20th century is when those inflatable friends became popular – and balloon animal parties even became a hit!
Balloons aren’t just for kids anymore either, as we have seen, Koons has numerous works surrounding inflatables, but modern fashion has also taken to balloon fad. Loewe, a Spanish luxury fashion company, sells black leather shoes with vibrant red figural balloon heels creating a sleek look, also available in a full camel color to really make people look twice. They also sell other styles of shoes such as sandals, bags, and jewelry featuring various shapes and colors of balloons. In 2019, Fredrik Tjaerandsen designed balloon dresses for the Central Saint Martins BA Fashion show. The models walked down the runway in inflated balloons which turned into dresses when deflated. Another designer that same year named Celia Kritharioti also utilized balloons during one of her shows. Her model wore a white and pink ball gown with clear balloons holding her veil behind her.
The fascination with balloons is still vast and prevalent, and the materials for balloon animals are a lot less gross and more affordable, so why not try your hand at making your own balloon animals!?
