I was trying to make art that my son could look on in the future and would realize I was thinking about him very much during these times... that he can look and see my dad's thinking about me, but to also embed in these things something that is bigger than all of us.

Koons studied painting at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Maryland Institute College of Art. In 1998 a miniature version of Puppy was released as a white glazed porcelain vase in an edition of 3000. Evaluation and influence
Koons has received extreme reactions to his work.

He lives and works in New York City and his hometown York Pennsylvania. The largest sum known to be paid for a work by Koons is Tulips which was sold for US$33682500 (£21219975) at Christie's New York on November 14 2012 (Lot 35) in the Post-War & Contemporary Art Evening Sale. Others dismiss his work as kitsch: crass and based on cynical self-merchandising.