Red Balloon Dog, 1995

Highly acclaimed for his works pertaining to popular culture, Jeff Koons is a contemporary artist best known for his kitschy sculptures, created in stainless steel and often finished with a shiny, mirror-like surface as evidenced in one of his most popular works, Rabbit. Koons’ appropriation of popular consumer objects is driven by his desire to create inclusive art, he has previously explained “I try to create work that doesn’t make viewers feel they are being spoken down to, so they feel open participation”. As a sculptor, Koons has employed a number of materials including wood, gold-leaf, porcelain, and flowers – Puppy, a 43ft tall sculpture comprised of stainless steel, was finished with a surface of various flowers such as Petunias, Begonias and Marigolds, all of which would grow for the exact amount of time that the work was exhibited. Koons drew much influence for his art from his time studying in Chicago, he was particularly inspired by the works of Chicagoan artists Ed Paschke and Jim Nutt. (Artist website)