A drizzly Friday afternoon, and a jagged-toothed inflatable monster on wheels stands guard (or beckons?) on the steps of Ryan gym. I approach cautiously. He appears to be snacking on…us?…and as I squeeze past I can hear the hiss of inhaling and exhaling air. Inside Ryan gym, I find New York performance artist Pat Oleszko getting ready for a weekend-long workshop on the creation of such inflatable pieces.
Posing next to the half-jeep, half-prehistoric animal on the steps, Oleszko says this “Warosaurus” carries a clearly political message—her response to the current administration’s handling of international affairs.
Over the weekend students had the opportunity to create, assemble, and paint their very own inflatable. Oleszko promised a group effort: a “Group grope which will be Yearning Man, Procuring Man, Blurring Man, and Touring Man.” I get the sense that the process will prove just as fun, engaging, and larger than life as the finished product itself.
-Monica Pace, Office of Communications