Putting Balloons On A Wall Is Not Art.
Michael Schneider ,AKA Blcksmth, talks the motivation behind his most viral balloon murals, his new book and exploring social commentary through his work.
Since the pandemic, Michael Schneider has been captivating the internet with a unique take on balloon installation wall murals. His work is not just about blending vibrant colours with thought-provoking messages, but also about bringing a sense of fun and entertainment to the viewers. He's known for spelling out what we're all thinking in the most enjoyable way possible. His latest venture, a book showcasing some of his most iconic installations, has garnered widespread attention. The Balloon Business Magazine team sat down to interview Blcksmth, where we dove into his creative process, the creation of immersive art experiences, and the deeper societal themes embedded within his work.
Just a Little Bit of Therapy
What has drawn us to Blksmth is his ability to touch our hearts in the simplest of ways. His wall murals aren't just fun to look at, but the messaging behind them is impactful and moving, with quotes and phrases that most of us can relate to.
He often uses quotes he curates from his favorite authors and around the internet to reflect what he's currently going through at the time. And we all can relate. Posting about break ups, mental health issues, at times, his insecurities, Shneider's messaging is a deeper look into what he may be going through in his personal life at that very moment. It moves the masses as it's usually saying something that we were all thinking, but very rarely do we say in public.
I'm spelling profound or deeply disturbing mental health quotes or jokes in balloons.
Narcissism and burning bridges with those who hurt you are constant themes in his work. He even tends to mock the internet by reposting comments from his internet trolls to make fun of them and himself. The juxtaposition of his bright, eye-catching work with the seriousness of the content makes his designs so memorable and relatable and, sometimes, seems like a form of therapy to us all.
“I love that sense of wonder and I’ve been trying to capture that in a bottle of walking down a street you always walk down to a park you always go to or hiking a forest trail that you always hike. Turning and seeing this glazing message LED letters looking like their neon suspended in midair or on a wall that maybe even spells out something that you need to hear at that time. There’s something exciting about the personal process and that’s really what I’ve been trying to sort of capture the feeling of.”
The Book
Schneider says that he decided to publish his art in a book format because he wanted to document his installations in a tangible form for people to enjoy beyond social media. The book is targeted towards a young adult audience and prompts introspection while showcasing his favorite installations.
Michael Schneider: There’s no Bombs In this one, much to my annoyance. But we wanted to create something that felt like a therapy session for young adults.
At a time where people are yearning to feel something real, Schneiders focus on brining his work off of the internet into something a reader can hold and reflect on was an obvious decision when Penguin Publishers first approached him about the project.
Michael Schneider: The book it is very much split into sections to sort of coax or prompt someone to be a little more introspective about how they approached the world.
I'm glad that I sort of stumbled on this medium. I only use uppercase letters and they tend to be very bright. I've learned a lot about color theory doing these, so I love seeing these in print in a way that almost seems like they're shouting the message at The Listener. It's exciting to see it now be intangible.
Blacksmith also revealed that another book is on its way. Something designed for the adults, a little bit of choice language, and something that feels like an activity book with stickers, riddles, and maybe some coloring pages though out.
Future Plans
We can expect to see Blcksmth exploring new avenues, like creating permanent installations and collaborating with more art galleries. He wants to continue pushing boundaries and challenging perceptions of art.
Schneider is also focusing his efforts on more immersive art experiences that his fans can physically enjoy.
Talking about his plans for future events like his immersive experiences, he says that he's had a couple of events so far, and he plans to expand them into other cities. The goal is to create a fun, amusement park-like atmosphere with various installations and activities, including collaborations with other artists.
BBM: You have a lot of success going viral on the internet. Now you have this printed book and you talked about immersive experiences, why is this so important to you?
Michael Schneider: I think in 2020, we gave ourselves permission to really find things that made us happy and not apologize for them. I think as adults we need to have a better comfort level with a sense of play and I think that's what balloon's in general do. Kusama is the first immersive art and now people love to go into Kusama's rooms and take selfies in them. She was doing that decades before, cameras on our phones even existed and before social media was around. I think there's never anything wrong with people wanting to be part of the art themselves or documenting it. I think someone taking a selfie in a Kusama room is just as valid as somebody taking a selfie, in front of my art. I want people to want to be a part of the art and learn to just play with it these days. I have very strong opinions on immersive art and I think it is the way of the future!
