FLUXUS Midwest

FLUXUS Midwest
Year of the Hot Dog

Performance: Inflatable Hot Dog

April 22, 1993
Gotham City Cafe
Ferndale, Michigan

Post card documentation of performance. Photograph taped to 5.25 x 3.5-inch corrugated cardboard rectangle. Text rubber stamped in black ink, silver "X" added, and embossed with round FLUXUS MIDWEST logo.

This was a simple performance lasting less than 3 minutes. I merely read the instructions that came with a vinyl inflatable hot dog--a promotional item I had purchased from the Oscar Mayer company--as I inflated the object by mouth. I read a line of instructions. Then I stopped to blow a couple of deep breaths into the hot dog. Then I read another line of instructions. I timed it so that the hot dog was fully inflated by the time I read the last line of instructions.

"Instructions for Inflatable Hot Dog. One. Blow into valve. For best results, INFLATE BY MOUTH."

"Two. Pinch valve at base to prevent air escaping, and insert plug into valve."

"Three. Press closed valve into hot dog so it is flat with the surface."

"Four. DO NOT OVERINFLATE. Do not try to remove every wrinkle. This will cause over-inflation - a few wrinkles should remain."

"Five. DO NOT inflate with compressed air."

"Six. DO NOT pull on valve stem."

Performance photographs by Carl Heller.

8.5 x 11-inch color-Xerox poster
of the two public performances of "Inflatable Hot Dog" during 1993.

Back of corrugated cardboard postcard used to document performance.
Xeroxed return-address label.