BALLOON SWAN (MAGENTA) by Jeff Koons

Limited Edition to 999.

Jeff Koons transforms a simple twisted balloon swan into a reflective magenta porcelain for his limited edition, Balloon Swan (Magenta). The original Balloon Swan, 2004–2011, is a monumental sculpture, standing over 3 meters high, in mirror-polished stainless steel with transparent color coating in five unique versions: magenta, red, violet, blue, and yellow.

The figure of the swan has 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. For Balloon Swan, he worked for over a year and a half shaping its graceful neck.

Through research, modeling, milling, polishing, and lacquering, the swan was elevated to its final monumental form. His perseverance resulted in a work that alludes to the playfulness of childhood while its simplified, reflective surface also communicates desire and acceptance.

Koons had an epiphany when he first saw the swan’s two-dimensional form on the computer: “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.”

Copyright: Jeff Koons