The Los Angeles County Museum of Art acquired renowned artist Jeff Koons’ Split-Rocker (2000), a monumental sculpture which is being completely covered with living plants and flowers. Currently under construction, it will anchor the ground level public spaces in front of the museum in the lead up to the 2026 opening of the David Geffen Galleries, LACMA’s new home for the permanent collection.
The 37-foot-tall permanent installation is Koon’s playful take on the form of children’s toys—one half a simplified pony’s head, the other half a dinosaur’s—combined into a single form “painted” with a palette of plants. Though the final count is unknown, it’s estimated that it will take more than 45,000 plants to cover the sculpture.
What was the initial spark for the huge Spit-Rocker which made it’s 2000 debut at the Palais des Papes, then Versailles (2008–09) and Rockefeller Center (2014)?
JEFF KOONS: “The Split-Rocker…really started in the bedroom in my home. I have quite a few children. I had two rocking horses and I thought, you know, it’s be so interesting just to cut them down the center and put these two different profiles of these rockers together.”
The dual-faces concept has been explored before by artists. How did that enter your consciousness?
KOONS: “Picasso had already been investigating this idea of putting two kind of faces together to bring these two differences. And I also thought Roy Lichtenstein could also relate very much to this line.”
Did you also draw from your own memories as a child?
KOONS: “I grew up in York, Pennsylvania, and in York there was a shoe house. There was a gentleman that owned a shoe company and he built a house that was in the shape of a shoe. And I think that was an inspiration for Split-Rocker. As a child I was always fascinated by this piece of fantasy architecture.”
The acquisition, installation, and future maintenance of Koons’Split-Rocker is a generous gift from LACMA life trustee Lynda Resnick and her husband, Stewart, bringing the Resnicks’ total LACMA giving to more than $70 million.
LACMA and Koons aren’t waiting until the huge installation is completed to build public enthusiasm. In conjunction with Avant Art, Koons has released a table-top sized two-piece Split-Rocker for private sale by invitation only. The limited edition Split-Rocker translates the legendary artist’s towering sculptures into a colorful pair of wooden editions. Each edition of 999 is currently on offer for $7,828 (for two pairs in contrasting colors) and $3,924 (for a single pair).
Photos courtesy of Museum Associates/LACMA.
