The Magic of Balloons : Twisted Into Sculptures and Equipped With Lights, They’ve Begun to Make a Bang Throughout the Year

More balloons will be released, dropped and used as decorations this evening than on any other night of the year. Balloons are as much a part of New Year’s Eve celebrations around the world as bubbly and “Auld Lang Syne.”

In Southern California, at midnight, 20,000 balloons will be dropped in the Spruce Goose dome, another 5,000 over Videopolis in Disneyland, 5,000 at the Universal Amphitheater. Pasadena Playhouse will have a display of 10,000 lighted balloons.

Americans have always been fascinated by balloons, but never more so than at this point in time. Over the past few years we’ve witnessed such spectacular balloon displays as the opening ceremonies of the 1984 Olympics, when 1,063 gold-and-white, 5-foot-diameter balloons were released from the floor of the Los Angeles Coliseum, each trailing a 20-foot banner saying “welcome” in every language of the world.

Then there was the mass balloon release (1,429,643) at Public Square in Cleveland, used to kick off a United Way campaign. And who could forget the 1988 Republican convention, when 200,000 red, white and blue balloons were intermittently dropped from the ceiling?

What’s the Fascination?

Why all this fascination with balloons? Phillip Sherman Sr. of Magic World theorizes that it begins in infancy, when our eyes first begin to focus. When we’re uncomfortable and cry out, our parents appear as global images bobbing over our crib and supplying whatever we need to soothe our ills and put us back to sleep.

Whatever the reason, most children adore holding a balloon on a string. As we grow into adults, balloons continue to symbolize fun and happiness.

Still, a decade ago, balloons were something that most considered appropriate only for New Year’s celebrations, birthday parties or at the circus, according to Treb Heining of Balloonart by Treb, who directed many of the extravaganzas already described. When he began working with caterers in the 1970s, balloons were not considered appropriate decorations at tasteful social events.

Then some innovative people started tying balloons together into columns and arches. Before long, they had figured out how to create arches that spiraled, hearts, stars, letters, numerals, animal and human figures.

Lighting added a whole new dimension, which Phillip Sherman Jr. capitalized on when he set up shop as the Electric Balloon Co. He saw a future in combining balloons with many different types of lighting. Today Sherman also uses fabric treatment and special effects.

Many people still think lighting will pop the balloons, according to Sherman. “By 1990, if not sooner, almost all balloon work will have some kind of lighting as a feature. And none of it, if professionally installed, will pop the balloons,” Sherman said.

During the past decade, latex balloons also were undergoing major changes. Quality improved, a much wider spectrum of colors became available and a technique was developed to prevent distortion of printing and patterns when balloons are inflated. The effectiveness increased even more as one color or pattern of balloon was inflated inside another to create what has been termed designer balloons.

Also developed was the “bear in the balloon” technique, in which a stuffed animal could be placed inside an inflated balloon. The same concept has been used by the younger Sherman to create “crystal balls” filled with play money and to place company products in balloons used as table centerpieces.

All of these elements, along with a lot of design creativity, have transformed balloons into a tasteful, even elegant form of decorating. Gold, silver and clear balloons artfully used to decorate the foyer of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion are a good example.

“Balloons set the pace, the party mood,” Heining said, “and lots of balloons are impressive. People think, ‘Wow, somebody really has gone to the trouble to make this a special occasion.’ ”

Which brings us to the obvious question: What does decorating with balloons cost? The sky’s the limit, of course, but a $500 to $1,000 budget is now normal, according to Heining. Electric Balloon Co. quoted $1 per foot for a single-line arch, $5 to $6 per foot for spiraled arches.

In addition to special-event extravaganzas, business meetings and the traditional occasions previously mentioned, balloons are being used today to decorate wedding and baby showers, weddings, bar mitzvahs and other occasions.

Heining uses only biodegradable latex (rubber) balloons in his creations; the younger Sherman has used some metallic balloons in the past, but has phased most of them out of his designs.

According to the Southern California Edison Co., helium-filled metallic balloons have caused electrical outages at an increasing rate over the past few years when they’ve become caught in power lines. “Edison takes the problem very seriously and will prosecute anyone responsible for an outage,” according to James E. Kennedy, area manager. Edison also stresses the potential danger in removing the balloons from power lines.

So what can we expect to see in balloon decorating for the future? The younger Sherman expects “sophisticated forms of balloon animation” to be added to balloon artistry. Both he and Heining see the industry being whittled down to a smaller number of companies that use quality materials, are professional in their execution and are separated by creative style.