BEHIND THE BALLOONS

The swan’s figure is particularly significant for the artist, as it was one of the first sculptures he made as a child in ceramic. While making Balloon Swan, Koons spent over a year and a half shaping the animal’s graceful neck. “Balloon Swan harmonises sexual energy,” says Koons. “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.”

Similarly, the Balloon Rabbit was inspired from the inflatable Easter decorations that would appear in the front yards of his childhood neighbourhood. “I was always very struck by the generosity of the neighbours in doing that, giving pleasure to other people in that way,” he says.The rabbit motif has appeared in his work as early as 1979, with his Inflatable Flower and Bunny (Tall White, Pink Bunny) and later in 1986 with his famous stainless steel Rabbit.

Meanwhile, the Balloon Monkey is a reflection of the artist’s fascination with man’s close kinship with primates. With this motif, he explores themes of sexuality, innocence, and pleasure—his most well-known work with the element being his 1988 life-size sculpture Michael Jackson and Bubbles. The Balloon Monkey’s innocent form is juxtaposed with the phallic tail, prompting viewers to see the harmony between what initially seems like contradictory concepts and arrive at self-acceptance.

Koons and Bernardaud worked tirelessly to ensure that no detail of Koons' art would be compromised in rendering his balloon animals in porcelain

AIR AND ART

Koons frequently explores the element of air in his art, and has worked with inflatables since he was a new artist in New York. “The reason that I enjoy things that involve air is they’re a symbol of us,” he explained. “We’re breathing machines, we’re inflatables.”

The artist compares the act of inhaling as a symbol of optimism and hope for the future, and exhaling as a symbol of death. By creating sculptures of balloon animals from stainless steel, he has created something that is “eternally optimistic.”

With their reflective surfaces, Koons’ balloon animal sculptures were designed to celebrate whatever environment they’re placed in. They’ve been mounted in the Grand Canal in Venice, the Versailles in Paris, the roof of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, and more, interacting with their surroundings in each venue.

“It’s a little bit like a Trojan horse,” he said. “When you think about a balloon, you think about its interior as being really empty. It’s a void. But the Balloon Dog has this interior aspect, being able to parallel life’s energy—it’s having a dialogue with interior life and exterior life.”

In the Philippines, Bernardaud is exclusively distributed by Rustan’s

This article was originally published in Philippine Tatler Homes Vol 23. To bring you all the latest interior trends and practical advice for styling your home, subscribe to Philippine Tatler Homes through here.