‘Caterpillar (with Chains)’ is from Koons’s 'Popeye' series of sculptures, which relate to the artist’s earlier vinyl inflatables from the late 1970s. Cast in aluminium and coated in bright paint, this work creates a masterful illusion of an inflatable beach toy. The caterpillar appears as weightless as the original object on which it was based and suspended from eight coated steel chains. Koons has described the creature in terms of “celebration and childhood”, encouraging his audience to find new value in this everyday object. However, despite his claims for a return to childish discovery, the caterpillar’s red chains may also recall symbols of repression and violence.