balloon dog

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Bold and intriguing, this sculpture, “Balloon Dog (Magenta)” by Jeff Koons, induces a sense of wonder and happiness. Jeff Koons’ “Balloon Dog (Magenta)” is a part of the Celebration series that begun in 1994. The Balloon Dog is an archetype connecting people to the monumental and the everyday. Looking at this sculpture you can hear the sound of festivity. We can hear the sound of children laughing and running around playing games. We can hear the sound of balloons popping and also the twisting shrieks from a party clown as he creates this wonderful balloon animal. This sculpture also evokes a sense of smell at these celebrations where the balloon dog would be present. A smell such as the smoke from blowing out the candles on a birthday cake, or perhaps even the smell of fireworks at a New Year celebration or carnival. Balloon Dog gives a feeling of happiness and warmth. It reminds the viewer of joyful memories from the past and even makes you wonder about new memories to come. New memories of birthdays, baby showers, anniversaries, all delightful events where a simple balloon animal may just be present in the hands of little children eating there chocolate cake and munching on their potato chips and lollies.

This simple geometric construction, with its mirror coated, smooth stainless steel and transparent magenta colour coating stands at 307.3 cm in height, 363.2 cm in depth with a width of 114.3 cm. It portrays the image of a three dimensional balloon dog wonderfully and does so whilst exaggerating its size and space, making it very dramatic. It’s big, round, bubbly body shape suggests that this sculpture really is a big balloon animal. With its tight twists and turns you can almost imagine creating a balloon dog by just loo...

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...excellent example of an art piece that can be used in the class room. Balloon Dog offers a lot to engage with learners from Stage 2 to Stage 3. Students can be encouraged to examine Balloon Dog (magenta) and go and recreate their own balloon dog or other balloon animal. Students can examine and learn from their creations, talk and discuss about Jeff Koon’s Balloon Dog and how it compares to theirs and even sketch what they have produced helping them understand the design elements such as shape and shadow, observing the twists and the reflections of light coming off of the balloon just as it does on Jeff’s Koon’s Balloon Dog (magenta).

Works Cited

Christies. (2013, October 21) Video: Jeff Koons on Balloon Dog (Orange) [video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYahe1-isH4
Jeff Koons. Retrieved March 13, 2014 from www.jeffkoons.com/site/index.html

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