ANDY WEBSTER
Solar Panel, Electric Fans, 12v Batteries, Timer switches, welded Oxford fabric [dimensions 12m x 1.8m x 0.5m]
INFLATE DEFLATE is a site-responsive sculptural installation consisting of eleven inflatable letters made from Oxford fabric, measuring 12m x 1.8m x 0.5m. The work operates on a cyclical system where solar panels charge 12V batteries that power electric fans controlled by timer switches. When the batteries are sufficiently charged, the fans activate to inflate the letters, temporarily giving the sculpture form. As the batteries deplete, the fans shut off, causing the work to collapse into a formless mass.
The piece employs unreliable technology and unsustainable materials. Its intermittent functionality - spending most of its time in a deflated state, with only brief moments of inflation sets up a dialogue with failure, expectations, and environmental contradictions.
The work was first exhibited at the Ruskin Gallery at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK. 2013