Analyse Puppy
Jeff Koons, artist, used advertising, marketing, entertainment industry visuals to “communicate the masses”. Puppy is a 43-foot high West Highland Terrier by Koons. It crosses the line between elite and popular culture. Koons created his remarkable version of the topiary sculptures found in eighteenth-century formal gardens using computer modeling. Puppy was made from a series stainless steel armatures that could hold more than 25 tons of soil and were irrigated with an internal irrigation system. Puppy is unlike other artifacts, it was not permanently installed. He has been seen in many places around the globe, including Australia and Germany. Puppy is now permanently installed here in Spain.
Puppy is made up of a variety flowers. Every time the sculpture is reinstalled at a new place, new flowers are planted. Koons conscious choice to use flowers for his sculpture is what ultimately defines its meaning. From the time of creation to its impact on the viewer, the artist’s choice of material has a lasting impact on their art. Although interpretations are personal and individual, the material plays a significant role in the artist’s intent. Puppy is a piece of Koons art that is composed of flowers. Its purpose is to inspire optimism, confidence, security and joy. Koon used some of the most emotional visual images and symbols – puppies and flowers – to invoke a particular emotion. He combined the best references to topiary, dog breeding and chia pets from his earlier works with popular greeting cards and chia pets. This sculpture’s meaning would change if it was made from bronze, steel or marble. Puppy was designed to communicate and be loved by mass culture. Puppy is surrounded by flowers that give it a relaxed, secure aura. The sculpture is also alive thanks to the flowers. Just like a real dog, it needs to be cared for and nurtured. The message Koons intended would not be conveyed if a material such as bronze, steel, or marble is not comforting or warm. Puppy could be made from any of these material and still bring joy when viewers see the cute face that brings security. As with most art pieces, Conjoined (Getlein 2408) by Roxy Paine’s meaning is dependent upon the materials it was made from. Paine’s artworks combine the organic with the machined, challenging our perception of the worlds we control and those created by nature. Paine made a 40-foot tall sculpture consisting of two conjoined trees whose branches connect in mid-air. Concrete and stainless steel were used in the construction of this sculpture, which symbolizes what humans can do to control nature and what they can’t. The meaning of the work could change if its materials changed. If the sculpture were made from real tree bark or flowers such as Puppy, then the message behind manmade would be lost. Conjoined and Puppy are not the same meaning. However, Andy Goldsworthy’s Reconstructed Icicles (Getlein 267) does not alter the meaning. Goldsworthy makes outdoor sculptures from a range of natural materials. These sculptures are only good for a few hours because of the tide and wind. Reconstructed Icicles is his work. He uses icicles which are reconstructed, frozen, and then he makes it. The meaning of the piece would not change significantly if it were made with different materials. Instead, he is documenting how the work “erases” over time. This could also be done with millions of other natural materials, such as snow, leaves and grass, stones, clay, clay, and so on.
Like Goldsworthy’s pieces, many other artists make pieces that are only temporary. Although I believe this to be true, it doesn’t mean that art can be understood, accepted, or understood if it is inherently transitory. Puppy is an example. Puppy was loved by everyone even though he was not permanently placed in Spain. The artistic expression and emotions that were felt when it was viewed does not have to be lost. Goldsworthy was able take photos of his art to preserve it for future reference.
Puppy wasn’t created in a permanent way, but since its creation I consider it art. It is art from the creation process to the assembly to the public’s reaction to it. Koons combined past and present images with sentimental visuals to give his viewers the opportunity to feel a certain way about Puppy. Art, in my opinion, is the expression and use of imagination and creativity. Puppy’s beauty and emotional ability to make its owners feel happy, confident, secure is what makes them so beloved.
