Balloonist turns to body parts

Do you remember being disappointed by the balloon creation that was supposed to be a dog but ended up looking more like a confused rat?
Well, if you got Jason Hackenwerth to entertain you for your seventh birthday, you'd certainly be mightily impressed.

The American artist has graduated from turning balloons into farmyard animals to making giant works based on insects, sea animals and even parts of the body.

Hackenwerth spends £6,000 a year on balloons to create his works, which are displayed throughout the world. His biggest work was 45m (147ft) long and made of 4,000 balloons.

While most of his creations are inspired by little crustaceans and insects, sometimes he gets his ideas from things a bit closer to home.

His favourite piece is The Oracle, a piece that is worn over the body. 'I love to get inside this one,' said the New Yorker.

was his mother, who worked as a clown, who taught him the art of balloon twisting.

He began with simple animals and hats to make a crust as a street performer but, by the time he graduated from art college, he had a grander plan.

'I used to travel the New York subway every day and it was so bleak,' said the 38-year-old.

'I wanted to find a way to cheer it up down there, so I started making balloon shapes and sneaking down in the middle of the night to hang them up. When people saw them their faces would light up, so I decided this was the medium I would like to work in.'

Just like all balloons, his sculptures gradually wilt and lose air.

'It's like watching a plump, robust teenager turn into a withered, shrivelled old lady,' he said.