With a BFA in printmaking and an MFA in painting under his belt, you can't really say that Jason Hackenwerth took the usual artist-route after graduating. While others try to create this one piece that last for eternity Hackenwerth builds short-lived sculptures through a very difficult and labour-intensive procedure. Sculptures made entirely from balloons.

Best known for the gigantic Megamite, which he built for the Deitch Art Star Parade in Manhattan in 2006, the Long Island residing artist creates over-sized and highly complex sculptures of perfect mathematical symmetry that look like the love child of an alien species and art deco sex toys. Like all the important pop artists of the last decade(s) he’s delivering the magic by simply transforming common material into something yet unseen.

Have you always worked with balloons or was that something you accidentally developed while looking for unusual materials?
Balloons were something that my mother had been using and playing with. I borrowed the material from her and it took off.

Your creatures recall the physical aspects of insects, flowers, deep-sea creatures and fossils... how much research do you actually do before you start to work?
The research I do for each project is mostly in the drawing and planning for scale. The works I make were never intended to be specific organisms but rather expressions of colour and form.

Some of the creatures you sculpt are gigantic in size. Do you work with a team on them to make sure that all the balloons have a similar inflation?
The amount of air in each balloon is pre-determined by a computer program that considers the number of twists balanced with the overall length of the balloon. An actual machine inflates and ties the balloons to perfection. This is the most economical method and saves lots of otherwise wasted latex. After the balloons are inflated and tied, I have clowns who do the twisting and manipulating per the instruction of the computer programme depicted in graphs and charts, the exact measurements for each twisted segment. I like working with clowns because I can pay them in laughter and birthday cakes. Ok, I'm kidding. The inflation of balloons is done with pumps, both electric and manual. Sometimes even by my mouth. It is helpful to work with assistants who pay attention to those kinds of details and are able to repeat the needed amounts over and over.

Obviously, you need to have an eye for symmetry and geometric forms... so I was wondering if you had a background in architecture and/or maths as well?
I do marvel at fantastic and innovative architecture. My background is strictly art but a great deal of engineering has become a necessary part of my process in making my sculptures.  

Do you work with the same brand all the time or do you have a producer that individually manufactures balloons for you?
I use Qualatex balloons primarily. I think they are the best. They offer a great variety of colours and lengths. One day I hope to have them specially made.

Unlike the majority of other art forms, yours is clearly short-lived because of the material you're using... so would you say that your colourful creatures stand as a symbol for life itself?
There is a metaphor there regarding lifespan for sure. The temporary nature of the work makes them experiential, not commodity based. My work is accessible to all and owned by none. The fact that different people see different types of creatures or organisms in my work supports my belief that the work references the connectivity of all life forms.

What are you working on at the moment and what do the cards hold for Mr. Hackenwerth in 2010?
2010 is already filled with exciting installations throughout the year and I am currently working on a multi-city tour for 2011 that will raise money for school art programmes in US schools.

Best Songs 2009
Ladyhawk - My Delirium
The Virgins - She's Expensive
The Virgins - Private Affair
Yeah Yeah Yeas - Heads Will Roll
MGMT - Electric Feel
Santigold - Unstoppable
Raconteurs - Salute Your Solution

Influential Artists in 2009
Paul McCarthy
Olafur Eliasson
Louise Bourgeois
John Baldessari
Duke Riley

10 Things You Wished To Have Changed But Didn't
This is a tough one. The kinds of things I want to change are ongoing. Like influencing young people with art. Convincing more Americans to embrace art and renew the funding for art programmes in US schools. 

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