Jeffrey "Jeff" Koons born January 21, 1955 is an American artist known for his reproductions of banal objects such as Balloon animals produced in stainless steel with mirror finish surfaces. He lives and works in both New York City and his hometown of York, Pennsylvania. His works have sold for substantial sums of money, including at least one world record auction price for a work by a living artist. The largest sum known to be paid for a work by Koons is Tulips which was sold for US$ 33,682,500 at Christie's New York on November 14, 2012 in the Post-War & Contemporary Art Evening Sale. Critics are sharply divided in their views of Koons. Some view his work as pioneering and of major art-historical importance. Others dismiss his work as kitsch: crass and based on cynical self-merchandising. Koons has stated that there are no hidden meanings in his works, nor any critiques