We’re big fans of Jeff Koon’s famously optimistic, kitschy and celebratory approach to contemporary pop art.Â
We’ve offered a number of Koon’s humorous and playful works before, and are excited to have one of his super iconic, highly collectable and deeply cherished pieces once again.
Dogs and flowers are reoccurring Koons motifs. They've appeared separately in various incarnations and mediums throughout his oeuvre. These saccharine icons merged together in 1992 with Koon's behemoth installation at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, featuring a West Highland Terrier puppy coated in blooming flowers. Â
“Puppy” towered over 40 feet tall, hosting over seventeen thousand living flowers. The giant floral sculpture not only secured Koon's international reputation but also became a beloved masterpiece.Â
Despite international acclaim, that same year Koons was rejected from showing at the "Documenta 9" contemporary art fair to be held in Kassel, Germany. Undeterred, Koons was accepted to show at the "Made for Arolsen" exhibition held at Arolsen Castle about 45 minutes away from Kassel. The mammoth, floral-covered puppy was installed on the front lawns of the castle-turned-museum. An undeniably charming and majestic visual combination, "Puppy" ultimately deterred many visitors away from Documenta 9 bringing them instead to Arolsen Castle. Â
The image on this porcelain platter was taken of the "Puppy" installation at Arolsen Castle. The castle's baroque architecture of straight lines and a smooth facade contrasts and accentuates Koon's luscious, living floral-furred puppy. Sitting with regal obedience in the courtyard, the puppy's soft lines and layers of topiary texture are dramatically framed by the handsome castle (dog house?).Â
A feat of buoyant imagination, technical engineering, and mixing old art forms with the new, Koons himself explains that puppy "is a symbol of love, warmth, and happiness”.Â
Circumventing much of the art world's layered meanings, "Puppy" presents the viewer with immediate understanding and enjoyment. After handling this playful little piece, we couldn’t agree more.
Questions about this piece? Contact us or call +1.416.704.1720
"Puppy"
USA, 1992
Signed, numbered and dated on verso
Enamel on porcelain platter
From an edition of 125
11"H 15.25"W 1"D
Publisher: San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation
Very good conditionÂ
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Our inventory is divided between New York and Toronto.Â
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We can ship anywhere. Typically when we ship within North America we prefer to use FedEx or DHL. To Europe, Asia and beyond we generally use DHL.Â
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For shipments within North America, we typically charge a flat rate fee. Many items on our site will list the rate. For shipping outside of North America, we can easily provide a quote and will look for the most efficient and economical option.
Most of the items on our site can be easily shipped internationally.
Occasionally we will recommend that an artwork be removed from its frame for shipping. Larger framed works are typically framed with plexiglass. We export over 80% of what we sell, so we are comfortable shipping anywhere.Â
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When a work is valued above $2,500 usd there is a possibility of tax of 0.35%, but this is applied sporadically. There can similarly be an additional fee for customs brokerage and this can range from $20 - $65. US Taxes, duties and customs brokerage are not included in our flat rate shipping. However most of our shipments to the US enter without any additional fees.Â
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Yes, we guarantee everything we sell. We can provide both a digital and printed version of our certificate of authenticity.Â
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- Caviar20 wants you to be 100% satisfied with your purchase. We have a 7 day no-questions full refund return policy for your purchase. Shipping charges are non-refundable. Return shipping is the responsibility of the customer. After 8 days returns are given a credit note. There is no expiration for our credit notes.
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Canadian clients are welcomed and encouraged to pay with interac.
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