CASTING AN ILLUSION

Jeff Koons' Balloon Dog transforms an ordinary balloon animal into a monumental sculpture, preserving the appearance of something soft, weightless and temporary in a permanent material.

Miles & Generalis Studios played a critical role in the original casting process, developing specialized tooling and custom machining techniques to achieve the precision Koons' design demanded.

Conventional industrial methods left imperfections that compromised the illusion. Tom Miles and Alex Generalis applied advanced fabrication technology, designing precise molds and CNC machining toolpaths to reproduce the sculpture's complex surfaces.

Every rounded form, compressed intersection and subtle curve had to capture the tension of air pressing against a thin rubber membrane. The challenge was not simply reproducing the shape, but preserving the extraordinary illusion of an inflated balloon.

Their work helped establish the physical precision essential to one of contemporary art's most recognizable sculptures.

Artist: Jeff Koons
Work: Balloon Dog, Celebration series
Original Casting, Specialized Tooling & CNC Machining: Miles & Generalis Studios
Principals: Tom Miles & Alex Generalis