Image via Complex Original
American artist Jeff Koons has been both celebrated and critiqued for his works that elevate seemingly banal objects into high art. The former Wall Street stockbroker is perhaps best known for Balloon Dog, a series of simple yet visually striking sculptures that have spurred everything from lucrative brand collaborations to a slew of copycat works. Whether or not you're a fan, it's hard to deny that Balloon Dog has taken the art world by storm. The sculpture is currently on view at the Whitney Museum for a retrospective on Koons which closes on Oct. 19. Get familiar with the shiny pooch with 10 Ways Jeff Koons' "Balloon Dog" Has Taken Over the Art World.
The sale of "Balloon Dog" let Koons break the world record for most expensive living artist.
Year: 2013
Last November at Christie's, an anonymous telephone bidder bought Balloon Dog (Orange) for $58.4 million, making it the most expensive artwork ever to be sold by a living artist. The sculpture, one of five others in different colors, previously belonged to billionaire entrepreneur Peter Brant, who sold the work to benefit the Brant Foundation Art Center.
Its commercial success inspired Chinese knockoffs.
Year: 2014
For those of us $50 million or so short in cash, Alibaba had us covered; until recently, the Chinese e-commerce site carried knockoffs of the sculpture in a variety of different sizes and colors, ranging from a (relatively) reasonable $500 to $5,000. Seemingly overnight, however, the knockoffs were pulled down from the website. Counterfeit items have always been a source of headache for fashion designers, but not many artists can say their works have inspired mass-produced copies worldwide.
And led other artists to create their own versions of "Balloon Dog."
Year: 2013
Koons' hugely successful career hasn't come without controversy. For all his legions of diehard fans, there have also been those who deem his work too kitschy, too banal. Among the unimpressed is artist Paul McCarthy, who seemed to poke fun at Koons when he created a ridiculously giant version of Balloon Dog for Frieze New York. The gross magnification of Koons' work feels a bit like a middle finger to Koons' insistence on his right to exclusive ownership of the balloon dog concept. Still, imitation is always the highest form of flattery.
Including the most expensive GIF of all time.
Year: 2014
You know you've made it as an artist when other artists try to bank off your success. Case in point: net artist Michael Green recently caused a stir when he created a GIF animation of Balloon Dog, then tried to sell it on eBay for $5,800 (a cheeky play on Balloon Dog Orange's sale price of $58 million). The GIF simply depicts Balloon Dog deflating. Green explains this deflation as an analogy of our need as a society to collapse existing norms of modern art and embrace the next big medium: the Internet. The GIF still doesn't have any bidders, most likely because people know how to right click and save.
The sculpture also inspired Koons to create his first piece of digital art.
Year: 2014
This week, readers of art magazine GARAGE will be treated to Koons' first ever virtual work of art, titled Ladybug. The sculpture can only be viewed via mobile device, and it will allow viewers to interact with the work by examining it from all different angles. Featuring two models covered in a metallic sheen, the piece is inspired by the artists' Rabbit sculptures.
H&M collaborated with Koons to create a "Balloon Dog" bag.
Year: 2014
In July, Koons celebrated the launch of his collaboration with H&M at their 5th Ave flagship. The Swedish retailer released leather crossbody bags (priced at a humble $49.95) featuring Balloon Dog printed on the side. The collaboration reflected Koons' desire to make his art accessible to the average individual. For those who missed out on snagging what will likely be the only Koons creation they can afford, some of these bags are still available on eBay.
And the sculpture also led Koons to collaborate with Dom Perignon.
Year: 2013
Following the enormous popularity of Balloon Dog, a slightly more accessible option was made available for those jonesing for a Koons creation. The artist collaborated with French champagne brand Dom Perignon to release limited edition bottles of 2003 rosé, each encased in miniature versions of his Balloon Venus sculpture. They run $20,000 each, but considering that Balloon Dog sold for $50 million, the bottles almost seem like a steal.
It was exhibited in Versailles.
Year: 2008
In 2008, Koons was selected as the first artist in a program designed to bring contemporary art to the palace of Versailles. The decision was not met without controversy, as many protested that his works were unworthy of being shown in what is arguably one of France's most sacred historical sites. Whatever your opinion on Balloon Dog, however, it's hard to argue that its contrast against the chateau wasn't visually striking. We're not sure if Louis XIV would have approved or not, but if the goal was to get viewers thinking about the interplay between the present and the historical, then we'd say the project was a success.
And featured in the Palazzo Grazzi in Venice, Italy.
Year: 2006
For the fifth anniversary of the opening of the Palazzo Grassi, Balloon Dog (Magenta) was installed on a platform overlooking Venice's famed Grand Canal. The exhibition, titled “Where Are We Going? Where Do We Come From? Is There a Reason?” seems fitting with Koons' themes of childlike delight and curiosity.
But most impressively, it appeared in the Whitney Museum's largest single-artist exhibition of all time.
Year: 2014
In June this year, the Whitney Museum of American Arts opened a Jeff Koons retrospective exhibit, its final show before it relocates to the Meatpacking District. The exhibit took up more space than the museum has ever allocated for any single artist. The event also marked Koons' first-ever retrospective show in New York.
