THE AIR BEAR PROJECT /
THE INFLATABLES
In 2008 I noticed some floating trash and the Air Bear project was born.
From Sesame Street to Istanbul to Exit Through The Gift Shop - these inflatable sculptures caught the attention of a global audience.
I had the honor of creating a PSA with Environmental Defense Fund which is now part of the permanent collection at the MOMA as well as projects with Sesame Street, the BAMkids Film Festival and international art education programs.
You can learn more about the work through multiple Publications and Media shared below.
We love hearing from you so please reach out with any questions or stories or to share your work with us.
“The fleeting nature of independent public art allows for works that are innovative, interactive, and just plain fun.”
Like Joshua Allen Harris’s “Inflatables.”These sculptures made of plastic bags are tied to city subway grates— a space that’s often overlooked, even avoided. The bags blend in like trash — until a train passes below, spitting exhaust into the air.” - CRASH COURSE
“it’s a reminder that beauty and wonder can arise from the what we discarded”
Born in 1977 in Pittsburgh Pa, Joshua Allen Harris is an American artist known for his innovative work with inflatable sculptures that blend urban life, social commentary and a sense of playful wonder.
Harris’s art emerges from a unique intersection of street art, kinetic sculpture and performance, where he engages the public in a dynamic interaction.
His works are placed in public places, particularly subway exhaust grates, where the movement of air from the air below animate the sculptures, creating an illusion of life. Through these installations, Harris gives form to the invisible forces that shape our environment, often commenting on the intersection between engineered environment and the natural world.
His work has been featured in numerous exhibitions and public installations, attracting a global audience and cementing his reputation as a trailblazer in the field of inflatable art, Harris’s unique vision emphasizes the beauty of impermanence and the potential for art to bring new perspectives to the ordinary.
@Stelva_ArteeCulture
In 2008 a simple gust of wind turned urban waste into art. Thats when JAH saw the untapped potential of floating trash and birthed the Air Bear Project.
What started as a whimsical inflatable sculpture captured the hearts across continents, transforming how we see art, the environment and even ourselves. From starring on Sesame Street to the MOMA, the Air Bear became a global icon of creativity and awareness.
More then just art, it became a movement - partnering withe the Environmental Defense Fund, educating kids at the BAMkids Festival and sparking conversations from Istanbul to New York.
This isn’t just a piece of art history- it’s a reminder that beauty and change can rise from what is discarded.
What’s your Air Bear moment?
@JokoTheCreator
Can Art Aid in Resolving Conflicts?
A pioneering survey of leading and emerging global artists, curators and art practitioners on the question: can art aid in conflict resolution and therefore reduce global tensions and human suffering?
Throughout the centuries, art has documented the atrocities of wars, participated in propaganda campaigns, and served as an advocate for peace and social justice around the world. The aim of this project is to explore how art can assist in creating dialogue and bridges across cultures and opposing groups. Over 100 leading and emerging architects, artists, curators, choreographers, composers, and directors of art institutions around the globe explore the potentially constructive role of the arts in conflict resolution. A summarizing chapter maps out the diverse positions and examines the variety of themes and approaches that were brought up.
Publication Details
Release date: 2 October 2018
Frame
Written by Noam Lemelshtrich Latar, Ornat Lev-er and Jerry Wind
ISBN 978-94-92311-32-0
Trespass. A History of Uncommissioned Urban Art
The last outlaw of visual disciplines: Graffiti and unsanctioned art—from local origins to global phenomenon In recent years street art has grown bolder, more ornate, more sophisticated and—in many cases—more acceptable. Yet unsanctioned public art remains the problem child of cultural expression, the last outlaw of visual disciplines. It has also become a global phenomenon of the 21st century.
Made in collaboration with featured artists, Trespass examines the rise and global reach of graffiti and urban art, tracing key figures, events and movements of self-expression in the city’s social space, and the history of urban reclamation, protest, and illicit performance. The first book to present the full historical sweep, global reach and technical developments of the street art movement, Trespass features key works by 150 artists,and connects four generations of visionary outlaws
Publication Details
Release date: 2010
TASCHEN
Written by Carlo McCormick, Marc & Sara Schiller, Ethel Seno
ISBN 9783836555487
Tangible: High Touch Visuals
Tangible presents graphic-inspired design, objects and orchestrated spaces by exceptional young creatives that are producing striking visual and spatial work. The borders between graphic design, illustration, art, interior design, architecture and craftsmanship are becoming increasingly blurred.
These designers from different disciplines are choosing to no longer work exclusively in two dimensions, instead dealing intensively with space, materials and physical products. Graphics morph into spatial sculptures, the intangible is made visual through handmade craftsmanship, physical experiences, visual environments
and staged spatial installations such as art installations, interiors and architecture as well as urban interventions.
Publication Details
Release date: 2009
GESTALTEN
Written by R Klanten
ISBN 9783899552324
SAY HELLO.
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