Koons Balloon

One of the things that I’m most proud of is making work that lets viewers not feel intimidated by art, but feel that they can emotionally participate in it through their senses and their intellect and be fully engaged. - Jeff Koons

The idea for a Balloon Rabbit sculpture came to Koons from his upbringing in south-central Pennsylvania. At special times of the year, people would decorate their front yard with reindeer at Christmas and inflatable rabbits at Easter.  As his neighbors wished to give pleasure to other people with these decorations, the artist is proud to make art that is not intimidating for the viewers. 

Jeff Koons playfully tests the boundaries of commerce, celebrity, banality and pleasure. In his hands even the most familiar, everyday items transcend commonality to become true icons that manifest the essence of American popular culture.

Balloon Dog is a very optimistic piece, it is a balloon that a clown would have maybe twist for you at a birthday party.  But at the same time there's the profoundness of an archaic sculpture.  The piece has an interior life while the reflective exterior surface affirms the viewer through their reflection.  - Jeff Koons

Balloon Dog (Orange) is a limited edition work that references Koons's iconic, monumental sculpture of the same name from his highly acclaimed Celebration Series (1994) which includes five colored sculptures in red, magenta, blue, orange and yellow. The series evolved from his desire to recreate the ecstatic experiences of a child's enjoyment of the world through universal signifiers representing birthday parties and festive events.

Jeff Koons playfully tests the boundaries of commerce, celebrity, banality and pleasure. In his hands even the most familiar, everyday items transcend commonality to become true icons that manifest the essence of American popular culture.

Balloon Dog is a very optimistic piece, it is a balloon that a clown would have maybe twist for you at a birthday party.  But at the same time there's the profoundness of an archaic sculpture.  The piece has an interior life while the reflective exterior surface affirms the viewer through their reflection.  - Jeff Koons

Balloon Dog (Magenta) is a limited edition work that references Koons's iconic, monumental sculpture of the same name from his highly acclaimed Celebration Series (1994) which includes five colored sculptures in red, magenta, blue, orange and yellow. The series evolved from his desire to recreate the ecstatic experiences of a child's enjoyment of the world through universal signifiers representing birthday parties and festive events.

Balloon Swan harmonizes sexual energy. If you look at it from the front, it’s totem-like and male. If you go to the side it becomes female. Balloon Swan is reminiscent of classical works, it defines beauty as sexual harmony.  - Jeff Koons

Koons had an epiphany when he first saw the swan’s two-dimensional form on the computer when he saw that it had at the same time male and female aspects. The figure of the swan has always had significant personal resonance for the artist; it was one of the first sculptures Koons made at 9 years old in ceramic, for which the young artist diligently worked on to get the angle of the neck correct. 

Jeff Koons playfully tests the boundaries of commerce, celebrity, banality and pleasure. In his hands even the most familiar, everyday items transcend commonality to become true icons that manifest the essence of American popular culture.

Balloon Dog is a very optimistic piece, it is a balloon that a clown would have maybe twist for you at a birthday party.  But at the same time there's the profoundness of an archaic sculpture.  The piece has an interior life while the reflective exterior surface affirms the viewer through their reflection.  - Jeff Koons

Balloon Dog (Yellow) is a limited edition work that references Koons's iconic, monumental sculpture of the same name from his highly acclaimed Celebration Series (1994) which includes five colored sculptures in red, magenta, blue, orange and yellow. The series evolved from his desire to recreate the ecstatic experiences of a child's enjoyment of the world through universal signifiers representing birthday parties and festive events.

It is about celebration and childhood and color and simplicity – but it’s also a Trojan horse. It’s a Trojan horse to the whole body of art work.
- Jeff Koons

Jeff Koons has been interested in cultural subject matter with widespread appeal throughout his career. It is, therefore, fitting that the monkey has been a recurring motif in his body of work. Humankind’s close kinship with primates has captured the artist’s fascination throughout history, serving as an allegorical figure for universal themes such as the pursuit of pleasure, sexuality and innocence. Koons merges these typically contradictory concepts through the reduction of the subject to its most essential form. 

One of the things that I’m most proud of is making work that lets viewers not feel intimidated by art, but feel that they can emotionally participate in it through their senses and their intellect and be fully engaged. - Jeff Koons

The idea for a Balloon Rabbit sculpture came to Koons from his upbringing in south-central Pennsylvania. At special times of the year, people would decorate their front yard with reindeer at Christmas and inflatable rabbits at Easter.  As his neighbors wished to give pleasure to other people with these decorations, the artist is proud to make art that is not intimidating for the viewers. 

Balloon Swan harmonizes sexual energy. If you look at it from the front, it’s totem-like and male. If you go to the side it becomes female. Balloon Swan is reminiscent of classical works, it defines beauty as sexual harmony.  - Jeff Koons

Koons had an epiphany when he first saw the swan’s two-dimensional form on the computer when he saw that it had at the same time male and female aspects. The figure of the swan has always had significant personal resonance for the artist; it was one of the first sculptures Koons made at 9 years old in ceramic, for which the young artist diligently worked on to get the angle of the neck correct.