Giant Jeff Koons Egg Up For Auction
Less than two years ago, a huge shiny sculpture by Jeff Koons, Hanging Heart by Jeff Koons went for $23.4 million at auction. Now the kitschy artist has another monumental piece up for sale, a giant rendition of a candy egg which will be auctioned off at the May 12 evening sale of Contemporary Art at Sotheby's New York. The massive egg is made of high-chromium stainless steel with transparent color coating and is one of four differently colored versions. It is estimated to sell for $6 to $8 million. For a sense of the scale of the piece, watch the video of Sotheby's principal auctioneer Tobias Meyer talking about it. Meyer speaks about Koons's love of the egg shape and its meaning of creativity, fertility and positivity. It might be tempting to dismiss Koons's outsized and cartoonish creations but Meyer remarks that it is actually quite a challenge to create something that looks like shiny aluminum wrapper from steel and chromium and that the two types of finishes, the crumpled look and the high gloss bow present their own challenges. Some contemporary art provokes thought or controversy but with Koons you generally get a sort of glee, a sense of the ridiculousness of the world. Viewing one of his large sculptures from his Celebration series is like revisiting your own childhood through a funhouse mirror.
[Thanks, Lana]
