Puppy
by Jeff Koons, 1992
Details
- Year
- 1992
- Medium
- Stainless steel, soil, flowering plants
- Size
- 1,234 cm (40 ft 6 in) tall
American sculptor Jeff Koons created this Puppy in 1992: a 12-meter (40-foot) West Highland terrier covered entirely in living flowers. The stainless steel armature holds soil and an irrigation system that supports roughly 70,000 flowering plants. It was originally shown at a castle in Germany, then moved permanently to the terrace outside the Guggenheim Bilbao in 1997.
The sculpture changes with the seasons as different flowers bloom and fade. Maintenance crews replant it twice a year. It's become Bilbao's unofficial mascot and one of the most photographed landmarks in Spain's Basque Country.
About Puppy
It's on the terrace outside the Guggenheim Bilbao in Spain. Free to see from the plaza (no museum ticket needed). It's been there since the museum opened in 1997. The 12-meter flower-covered dog is hard to miss.
Yes. About 70,000 living plants grow on a stainless steel frame filled with soil and fed by an internal irrigation system. The flowers change seasonally. Maintenance crews replant it twice a year. Different blooms give Puppy a slightly different appearance each time you visit.
It stands 12.3 meters (about 40 feet 6 inches) tall. Koons modeled it after a West Highland White Terrier. The scale transforms a cute domestic pet into something monumental. The contrast between the kitsch subject and the massive size is typical of Koons' approach.
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