45-foot tall 'Seated Ballerina' debuts at Rockefeller Center

May 16 (UPI) -- Artist Jeff Koons unveiled his 45-foot inflatable ballerina sculpture in New York City's Rockefeller Center Plaza.

Seated Ballerina, made from shiny nylon, depicts a blonde ballet dancer adjusting a shoe, and is intended to raise awareness of National Missing Children's Month in May. The massive public art installation was revealed on Monday and will be on view until June 2.

It was created in conjunction with the cosmetics company Kiehl's and the Art Production Fund, manufacturer of oversize artworks.

"She conveys a sense of inner strength and optimism," Koons told the New York Post.

Koons, 62, is noted for larger-than-life sculptures of common objects and images, typically presented with mirror-like finishes. The inflatable ballerina is shined to a metal-like glow, and can withstand winds of 60 mph. It took nearly two days to install at Rockefeller Center and about 10 minutes to inflate it.

Koons is a co-founder of the Koons Family Instituter on International Law and Family, which researches the status of child protection legislation, and has been involved in the work of the International Center for Missing and exploited Children.