dear mr. jeff koons...

Garrett (my seven year old son) & I spent a recent afternoon at MOCA intending to see the Masters of American Comics exhibit. He wasn't as into the comic exhibit as I had expected (though I really dug getting to see all this original artwork from: Harvey Kurtzman, R. Crumb, Art Spiegelman & Chris Ware among others). Garrett did however really like a lot of the contemporary art. It was a very satisfying parental moment - having a conversation with him about what he liked & didn't like & why. We both picked the same painting as 'our favorite of the day'. I wish I would have written down the artists name & the title of the painting. It was this lovely painting of a birds nest with three robin eggs - the perfect shade of blue. Leaning against the nest was a pair of brass knuckles. I'll get a hold of MOCA & find out who painted such a lovely picture. Note: kids under twelve are FREE - adults only eight bucks, though I really should purchase a membership...

After checking out the museum, we head to the museum shop. I was stunned to find a Jeff Koons 'Balloon Dog' for sale. No, not the original perfectly massive, room-sized version, but a miniature $600.00 limited number, Balloon Dog (blue). I sort of lost my breath for a moment...


See 'Rabbit' is actually my favorite Jeff Koons piece. I was lucky enough to catch the "Jasper Johns to Jeff Koons: Four Decades of Art from the Broad Collection" at LACMA back when Garrett was around three years of age. This was his first trip to an art museum. Seeing the massive scale of 'Balloon Dog' right in front of me that day, made me feel relieved. Relieved because I knew that I would never have a space in any home I would ever live in that would have enough room for 'Balloon Dog'. As if the size alone (nevermind the price - ha) would keep me from this piece of art. Relief came from knowing I could just cross that piece of art off of my "need to have" list. And then I saw 'Rabbit'...



'Rabbit' is obtainable - size wise anyway. It stands about three feet tall. Do-able. Wouldn't fit in with my ikea/pottery barn "decor" but size-wise it would fit. I left feeling quite sad that I would never have a 'Rabbit' of my own. And I have thought ever since that Mr. Jeff Koons should make miniature versions of these pieces. They would both fit in a regular home & be affordable (cough).

So there I am in the MOCA giftshop staring at what I had dreamt of all these years... And I started thinking... What could I hock so that I could buy my own 'Balloon Dog'. Me, a normally rational & tight purse stringed single Mom trying to figure out some way to take this baby home - now - today! Wrap it up in your schmancy MOCA gift bag & hand it over. It took me a day or so to get over it. And just to help get it out of my system, I did watch a couple of auctions on eBay for the same limited edition 'Balloon Dog'. All going for mid fives to six hundred. Oh, any sugar daddies out there reading this: You now know the way to my heart. It is not diamonds or gold - it is a pretty little stainless steel piece of perfection.

Addendum: since the dust has settled after my not impulsive but wanted to be impulsive time in the MOCA gift store... I have decided that $600.00 'Balloon Dog' no longer tempts me. I am on the look out for a miniature version of 'Rabbit'. Oh please oh please Mr. Koons - won't you tempt me & my budget?