Olek’s Crocheted Balloon Funhouse at the Krause Gallery
To be honest we did a quick pat-down to make sure all sharp objects were quarantined before entry. The last thing we wanted was to become the party popper by deflating the entire exhibit. Indeed, this ain’t no normal circus-style balloon sculpting.
This image has been archived or removed.
With Olek currently on bail from London, she and artist David Peterson teamed up for some extraordinary funhouse action inside the Krause Gallery on Orchard Street. Last night was the opening party for “Synthetic Nature,” an event that both challenged the claustrophobic and literally tickled the senses – colorful balloons, the pungent scent of latex, and the sounds of golden oldies (good times, great oldies).
This image has been archived or removed.
Ever determined to crochet the entire world in her own image, the world-renowned street artist instead decided to ditch the spool in favor of semi-inflated rubber. The most obvious component of the exhibit was the balloon-crocheted hut in the center of the gallery space, which purportedly took twenty hours to assemble. Wide-grinned patrons gathered inside the cramped quarters, shooting pictures and posing with the performers in token Olek get-ups. And there were plenty of them pacing the premises – all frozen in strange positions.
This image has been archived or removed.
Boogie boys with Olek
David Peterson’s fingerprints were outside the hut, where his collection of “machines” provided the illusion of inflation; that these creations kept the entire rubber room afloat. The walls of the gallery itself, meanwhile, boasted one-of-a-kind photography housed in frames comprised entirely of crocheted balloons.
“Synthetic Nature” runs through April 15 at the Krause Gallery, 149 Orchard Street.
Recent Stories
Punk Couple ‘Dennis and Lois’ Dish on their 40-Year Love Affair with Music [INTERVIEW]
New York couple Dennis and Lois consume concerts at the same frenetic pace as many of the acts they see perform their sets (sometimes they see four shows a week, sometimes it’s brief overnight stint in Manchester). They are the ultimate punk fans, a lifetime music-driven couple. And the best kind of cool – matter […]
Yesterday’s Snowfall Toppled Trees Around the Lower East Side [PHOTOS]
Yesterday’s late-fall snowstorm (aka “Snowvember”) had trees falling around the Lower East Side. Over on Norfolk Street, the weight of the wet snow-pack toppled several large limbs at around 5pm, smashing into parked cars and blocking southbound traffic below Stanton Street. (Video below.) Firefighters quickly responded with the chainsaws to clear the debris. One person […]
Make No Mistake, CM Margaret Chin Wants Towers in Two Bridges [OP-ED]
The following editorial was written by community leader David Tieu, a member of the Lower East Side Organized Neighbors coalition, which is staunchly opposed to the incoming waterfront development. With just a rubber stamp of City Planning approval, four mega-towers on the flood plain of the Lower East Side waterfront – each between 60 and […]
HPD Moves Forward with ‘Haven Green’ Development Atop Elizabeth Street Garden
With the edict to remove statues from the park, the proverbial bulldozers are revving up the engines after the city decides to move forward with the redevelopment of the Elizabeth Street Garden. This week, the Department of City Planning certified plans to proceed with the Uniform Land Use Review Process (ULURP) for the Haven Green […]
City Inaugurates 2-Way Delancey Street Bike Lane this Morning
The city will roll out the green carpet this morning. Implemented last month, the nascent two-way protected bike lane along the south side of Delancey Street is finally ready for its official inauguration. The Department of Transportation is holding a press conference this morning on the Lower East Side to celebrate this “safer route for bicycle […]
