On November 14, 2013, Jeff Koons broke the record for the most expensive artwork created by a living artist when he sold his Balloon Dog for display in the Chateau of Versailles for a record $58.4 million dollars. This seems like a lot, but Jeff Koons'  work has been selling for astronomical values since the inception of his work back in 1979, when he released his Equilibrium series. Since then, Koons has found success in his massive stainless steel, mirror finished, sculptures.

The majority of Koons' fame came from his 1995 works called "Celebration." Celebration saw Koons begin to play with the idea of massive steel works. He began playing with mirror finishes as well. From this was born his first set of balloon works, the orange balloon dog and his tulips, now in Bilbao. These works gave Koons immediate success. He claimed his work had no secret meanings or ulterior motive other than the pure purpose of pure enjoyment. Because of this, his work has suffered little actual criticism. However, when the Chateau of Versailles bought his balloon dog, there was a lot of controversy and confusion. How could they put a massive balloon dog in the once palace of Louis XIV.

Despite the criticism, Koons still garners a lot of respect as one of the best modern sculptors today. While his works may not represent much, they are pleasing to the eyes, and my favorite works of modern art. Sometimes, simple is the most elegant.