Summer’s finally here and balloons appear to be the signifier of the season.  Be it literal or interpretive, pastel floaters have gained an inspirational edge, as it’s hard to resist a balloon’s youthful, colorful zeal.  Artists and photographers seem to be using balloons to convey messaging representative of our time, mixing hopeful optimism with realistic and momentary pleasure. Tiara Mia of Turkey has photographed an incredible layout, using a string of vibrant balloons to convey color, mood and atmosphere.  Dipping into the Vogue archives, Dolce & Gabbana have recently curated the exhibit, Extreme Beauty in Vogue, in correlation with the launch of their latest makeup campaign. This June 1949 photograph by Clifford Colin glorifies the swimming cap while reminding us of this familiar prop.

In conveying hope and wonder, Disney Pixar, Bloomingdales and Dior have all devised their own interpretations of the familiar phrase, “up, up and away.”

Sliding into the figurative realm, the Kyouei Design team of Japan reference balloons (as well as wine) with their “glass tank” prototype.  This light filled spectrum beautifully displays opaque and transparent qualities similar to it’s balloon counterparts, while this ampersand pattern from ffffound cleverly displays floating typography.

Additional contributions by: Emily Gup