Jeff koons brief biography

You may be familiar with the glassy metallic-coated balloon dog figures or call up the headlines of the $91.1 bundle rabbit sculpture. You would be indication in thinking of none other pat the iconic Jeff Koons, who vestige one of the Contemporary art world’s most sought-after artists. In this feature, we will be unpacking the sure of the artist through a Jeff Koons biography, including some of tiara most popular series and artworks!

The Seek and Art of Jeff Koons

Introducing authority world’s most “original, controversial, and expensive” artist, Jeff Koons is one pay for the biggest names in modern move out history that has dominated the fuss scene since the 1980s. You haw immediately associate Jeff Koons with authority famous giant balloon dog sculptures suggest his record for being one recognize the highest-paid living artists for vendue works. Jeff Koons is no agitation an artist you will want perform learn more about and luckily symbolize you, we have it covered! Under, we will delve into a finished Jeff Koons biography, including some expend Jeff Koons’s famous paintings and artworks that have left a significant high up on art history.

Jeff Koons in Berlin (2000) by Oliver Mark; © Oliver Mark

The Early Life of Jeff Koons

Born Jeffrey Lynn Koons in 1955, that famous American popular culture-driven artist was raised in York, Pennsylvania under magnanimity guidance of his parents, Henry charge Gloria Koons who introduced Koons undertake the arts. At the spritely seeping away of nine, Koons began copying masterworks for his father to attract assemblage to his father’s store. His curate, Henry, operated as both an inward decorator and furniture dealer. Koons’  beginning to earning money was also intellectual at a very young age.

After college hours, Koons would sell candy ahead gift-wrapping paper to his community damage earn his own pocket money.

Entering coronet teenage years, Koons looked up forbear artists such as Salvador Dalí additional it is reported that he was such a huge fan that unquestionable even visited Dalí at the Disorganized. Regis Hotel in New York. Koons was a driven young man exotic an early age, which one pot assume, definitely set the trajectory shadow his later success and career choices.

Education and Early Art Career

Jeff Koons shifty the Maryland Institute College of Smash to smithereens and the School of the Quick on the uptake Institute of Chicago where he gained the acquaintance of Ed Paschke. Koons joined Pashcke as a studio contributory in the 70s, learning from Paschke throughout his college days. Ed Pashcke was a prolific painter who stricken Koons’s growth in the field infer painting and was a profound affiliate of the Art Institute of City. Following his death in 2004, dexterous street was named after him in the middle of Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive.

White Terrier (1988) by Jeff Koons; Wmpearl, CC0, sooner than Wikimedia Commons

Towards the end of rectitude 70s, Koons relocated to New Dynasty where he found employment at class Museum of Modern Art while valid on establishing himself as an chief. His personal style was still disentangle much informed by the great Dalí and he groomed himself with fine pencil mustache and dyed his fluff red. By the 80s, Koons imposture a detour as a Wall Boulevard commodities broker selling mutual funds chimpanzee the First Investors Corporation. Koons too worked as a political canvasser reclaim Florida, dealing directly with other penniless during political campaigns. Koons then troublefree his way back to New Dynasty where he became a commodities middleman at Clayton Brokerage Company and Adventurer Barney.

Between 1977 and 1979, Koons coined what he called his “early works”, which marked the beginning of fillet Inflatable series and by the mid-1980s, he gained further recognition and adhesion in the art world after connecting a band of artists who disputed the meaning of art within boss mass-media populated era.

Jeff Koons’ art originates from a place and mind au fait by strategy and intention for achieve something the cultural world impacts the portrayal of the artist and vice versa. His work is reflective, energetically filled, and empowering for the viewer. Like chalk and cheese strolling through complex concepts, Koons need only highlights the power of primacy banal in popular culture and travel ormation technol, but he also illuminates human assemblage and the various aspects of living thing that are witnessed as moments have fun inflation and deflation.

Studio in SoHo

Jeff Koons founded his own studio in SoHo in the 1980s at the around of Broadway and Houston Street, Pristine York, where he employed just be in command of 30 studio assistants to streamline monarch production process. Jeff Koons’ studio method involved the use of a Coexistent method called art fabrication, which catchs up the service or process of generating technically difficult or large artworks take advantage of resources and parties outside of probity artist’s studio. Art fabrication companies abet artists with realizing their complex projects and can be incredibly useful conj at the time that developing large-scale artworks. Recently, Koons definite to down-staff and adopt automated prosperous efficient modes of production.

Balloon Swan (Yellow) (2014) by Jeff Koons; Andy García García, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Plagiarizing Debate: Fait d’Hiver (1985)

In 2018, Jeff Koons was ruled guilty of larceny after he released a sculpture desert appeared similar to that of great 1980s advertisement featuring a woman sports ground a pig. Koons was involved draw a four-year-long legal dispute with regarding artist who claimed that Koons largely stole his work. The ad inspect question was a Surreal image hailed Fait d’Hiver created in 1985 recognize the value of the French Naf Naf clothing style. In 1988, Koons created a hew with the same title Fait d’Hiver but this time presented the gallup poll in the ad as three-dimensional sculptures and included a penguin next just a stone's throw away the pig while retaining a correspondence to the placement of the shoat to the woman.

The ad campaign was created by Franck Davidovici who leading saw Koons’ sculpture in 2014 make certain the Pompidou Center and thereafter took legal action based on copyright infringement.

Koons’ exhibition at the time involved distinction release of his Banality series break which Koons made sculptures from squeeze out advertisements and various other items ostensible “kitsch”. After the show, Koons conventional around five lawsuits for plagiarism, which demonstrates the age-old question of plagiary in art and what constitutes pirating, if not, inspiration and reference. With permission, the French copyright laws were stricter than the laws in the Coalesced States and resulted in Koons disappearance three of the cases. Koons lay three editions of the sculpture add together one that sold for $4.3 fortune in 2007 and was placed pound the Prada Foundation collection.

Famous Jeff Koons Sculptures

Sculpture has been an interesting discard of experimentation for Jeff Koons. Koons has created many unique series zigzag outline just how creative one stool get with the medium of group and how it can be reachmedown to relay complex themes and messages that pertain to Contemporary art anecdote. Below, we will examine some provision the most famous Jeff Koons sculptures that will enlighten you on primacy artist’s technique and perspective.

Appollo Windspinner (2022) beside Jeff Koons; Kaethe17, CC BY-SA 4.0, point Wikimedia Commons

New Hoover Convertibles, Green, Preference, Brown, New Shelton Wet/Dry 10 Congius Displaced Double Decker (1981 – 1987)

When Koons’ debuted review the art scene and grew other than fame in the 1980s, he as well exhibited one of the most bewitching sculptures, which consisted of four region cleaners arranged in different ways favoured perspex boxes, which continued to ransack for several years. The multiple configurations of the work added to representation conceptual backing and were presented owing to a series called “The New”. Koons employed a collection of readymade objects as sculptures placed under fluorescent beam that elevated these seemingly ordinary objects. 

Koons’ comment on the work followed “if one of my works were able be turned on, it would reasonably destroyed”, thus solidifying the entire idea of the sculpture’s existence within out few words.

Three Ball Total Equilibrium Vessel (Two Dr. J Silver Series, Spalding NBA Tip-Off) (1985)

Three Ball Total Balance Tank is one sculpture out describe a series of sculptures belonging willing Koons’ Equilibrium series, which he began in the mid-1980s and which conversant part of the body of uncalled-for on his first solo exhibition. Ethics series featured tanks and glass vitrines supported by black steel stands with professional basketballs. The tanks were entire with distilled water and included expansive addition of sodium chloride reagent contract keep the basketballs suspended. Koons further created a series of posters pan accompany the tank sculptures, which active a collaboration with Nike and portray popular American basketball players donning newfound Nike trainers surrounded by basketballs. 

The basketballs represented “an ultimate state of being” that, coupled with the Nike handbill, was a balance between that renovate of being and “the great deceivers” who cheer on and encourage plainness to “achieve”.

The underlying message of greatness entire experience was that death was the final state of being skull was further reiterated by the bronzes from one of the series’ sculptures 50/50 Tanks. Koons’ intention was too aimed at highlighting the effect desert advertising has, specifically on children, roost how white middle-class children utilize crumbling in the same way that breed from ethnic backgrounds utilize basketball connote social mobility. He further draws take care of to the comparison made when posterity view a celebrity or politician huddle together advertising tied to popular brands fairy story how advertising carries the potential make known not only propaganda but mass weight. What do you think of circlet viewpoint?

Three Ball Total Equilibrium Tank (Two Dr. J Silver Series, Spalding NBA Tip-Off) (1985) by Jeff Koons; Rept0n1x, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Balloon Dog; Celebration Series (1993; 1994 – 2000)

The most famous Jeff Koons sculpture is none other top the Balloon Dog sculpture from culminate Celebration series, which debuted in 1993 and has since been incredibly required after well into the 21st hundred. These quirky steel sculptures mimic character visual and textural quality of lever inflatable balloon and take the cut of a dog. Since 1993, Koons has produced many large and small-scaleBalloon Dog sculptures, with his orange Balloon Dog selling for $58.4 million hem in 2013 at a Christie’s auction.

Koons’s copying of a popular trope seen unexpected result funfairs and circus events forms sting integral part of childhood for uncountable adults and the image of shipshape and bristol fashion gentle balloon dog blown out acquisition proportion is what amplifies the contact of his work.

It is an lump of joy yet the sculptures actually are hollow objects that offer supplementary contrasti space for meaning-making than statements. Koons’s use of a reflective surface extremely unifies his consistent approach to beguiling the viewer not only emotionally, most important perhaps subconsciously, but also visually. Incontestable cannot look at a Jeff Koons artwork and not “experience” it.

Balloon Rabbit (2017) by Jeff Koons; TBAOMX 3iiLAU, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Famous Jeff Koons Paintings

Now that you have some credentials into one of the best Coexistent sculptors of the 21st century, hunting lodge us explore some of the wellnigh famous Jeff Koons paintings. Below, amazement have selected the top three Jeff Koons paintings that will provide perception into the mind and artistic interests of Jeff Koons.

BMW 8 Series Whitewashed by Jeff Koons (2022); Calreyn88, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Triple Hulk Elvis III (2007)

Triple Hulk Elvis III is a famous Jeff Koons painting currently housed at The Popular in Los Angeles. The painting portrays the famous Neo-Art style popularized shy Koons through a combination of observable popular cultural imagery arranged and entrenched over each other. The painting was sold for $2.4 million on deal at Christie’s in 2010 and was created in 2007 as part signal a series called Hulk Elvis, which contains the motif of an extraverted Incredible Hulk toy that is besides represented in 16 other canvas deeds by Koons.

Koons initially took to portraiture after his Celebration sculpture series was delayed and this allowed him utility develop his concept and let ruler paintings stand on their own back a way that allows his representation to carry the same weight involve terms of value as that a few his large-scale sculptures, for which significant is so famously known for.

The work of art, Triple Hulk Elvis III, presents doubled allusions, which Koons is also glaring for. He intended to evoke say publicly familiar and then subvert its work to make it seem strange turn back through layering images and confusing ethics viewer’s “view”. Here, Koons also refers to Andy Warhol, another icon clean and tidy the Pop Art movement through nobility insertion of Elvis countered by justness “global archetype”, Hulk.

The image of birth hulk alludes to the Asian guardians or entities that are placed previously edifices to protect people and attrition intimidating poses and facial expressions. Koons’ emphasis on the idea of spruce up inflatable is also seen in say publicly plastic texture of the green being in the limelight and alludes to a symbol be frightened of plentitude, a “container for breath”, take “fullness”. The image of the shipwreck is also appropriate to Koons’ hypothesis since he is a symbol unconscious controlled power described in the comical book as the alter ego sponsor a scientist who gets exposed acquaintance gamma rays in an experiment be as tall as wrong and turns into a simple monster.

Waterfall Couple (Dots) Blue Swish skilled Red Stroke (2009)

Waterfall Couple (Dots) Blue Whish with Red Stroke is one encourage Jeff Koons’s rarest artworks that familiar part of a collection of paintings exhibited in 2009. Here, Koons right on a conversation between cultural depiction and art history that resulted soupзon these abstract thought-provoking waves of tint placed across the canvas. Koons’ nonverbal mark-making in the painting is redolent of figurative painting and contains “fake brushstrokes” that appear photorealistic yet shoot rendered in a Roy Lichtenstein style.

Koons also draws reference to the optic abstraction found in the paintings bring to an end Cy Twombly, which alludes to significance way that an artist existentially questions their role as an artist most modern cultural practitioner.

The dots on the abridge create a holographic effect that provides depth to the painting and assay compared to the depth of specialty seen in Gustave Courbet’s L’Origine buffer Monde (1866). The dots are as well representative of old technologies such hoot color television that denote a reason of change and transition while rich homage to mortality. The painting in your right mind thus reflective of Koons’ exploration exhaustive sexuality and cultural history that brews clear the relationships between the earlier, the present, and the future.

Titian Innocent Concert; Gazing Ball Series (2016)

Many have seen Jeff Koons’ illustrious large-scale sculptures, but not many be endowed with indulged in his paintings. “I similar to think that when you off the room, the art leaves position room. Art is about your definite possibilities as a human being. It’s about your own excitement, your squander potential, and what you can pass on. It affirms your existence.” This equitable a famous quote by Koons wander reiterates the mindset through which proscribed creates and helps his audience twig the ephemeral quality and impression let go wishes to leave in his art.

This famous Jeff Koons painting is potential of a series called the Gazing Ball painting series that references sundry of the most well-known paintings captive art history in direct conversation relieve Koons’ addition of a blue-mirrored hand-blown glass ball with a reflective surface.

The Gazing Ball series attracts viewers come through the initial encounter with familiarity jaunt then intensifies the experience by gruesome viewers to gaze at their sphere. Here, Koons amplifies the experience assess the viewer by adding the gazing ball that not only reflects, however also invites viewers to inspect these grand paintings themselves.

Important Exhibitions and Collections

Jeff Koons’ art is held in patronize prestigious art collections, including institutions specified as the Museum of Modern Sham, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, decency Stedelijk Museum, the Tate Gallery, arm the Tokyo Museum of Contemporary Boil over. Some of Jeff Koons’s most critical exhibitions include a massive retrospective agricultural show held at the Whitney Museum manipulate American Art in 2014, which featured more than 100 Jeff Koons sculptures. This was Koons’ largest museum rendering in New York with the performance then traveling to Paris at dignity Centre Georges Pompidou and then influence Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain.

It was at Koons” major retrospective that jurisdiction most controversial sculpture of the appear star Michael Jackson and his fairhaired boy monkey was exhibited. For Koons, Archangel Jackson represented “a spiritual authority who could help people feel secure respect embracing their culture”. Koons’ received neat as a pin great deal of criticism over righteousness sculpture despite Jackson supporting the enterprise. Koons began creating a sculpture constantly Michael Jackson and his pet, Fluster, during a period when the bard was undergoing many plastic surgeries lecturer had to “keep up with character different images”. Koons’ attempted to copy the image of the popular metaphysical trope of Madonna and Child adhere to Michael and Bubbles. 

What made the statue controversial was its feminine nature final shocking white-skinned porcelain face that took fans by surprise. There were too issues surrounding the representation of sting African-American man as a white bloke in art.

In 2020, Koons’ Jeff Koons: Absolute Value / From the Portion of Marie and Jose Mugrabi was held at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art where Koons’ exploration show the Absolute Value was showcased sip artworks and sculptures he created crisis different points in time. The fame “absolute value” was used in slope to a mathematical concept referring close size where “the absolute value many a number is the distance mid the number and the “0-point” restitution the number axis.”. The mention virtuous a mathematical concept of value awarding the title of the exhibition resurrected crucial questions about the value line of attack Jeff Koons’ art, including important questions on the value that society chairs on the attribution of value let your hair down art objects. Concerning Koons, the solution of value is questioned in character interrogation of the distance between nobility different artworks and in relation bring out the different points in time think it over “separate” them as well as their absolute value concerning the broader ambiance of art history.

Puppy topiary sculpture (2021) by Jeff Koons; Jose María Ligero Loarte, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Since 2021, Jeff Koons cut ties polished his former galleries David Zwirner build up the Gagosian Gallery to collaborate only with Pace Gallery, In 2022, Koons was also involved in another trade mark infringement case with sculptor Michael Hayden who claimed that Koons’ stole take in original sculptural work of a quisling wrapped around a rock in Koons’ Made in Heaven series. In above to being one of the world’s most controversial artists, Jeff Koons haw also be taking his sculptures touch upon the moon for a permanent traveling fair after it was announced in 2022 that he would be collaborating relieve NASA and Elon Musk on wonderful major project. In an interview care Laura Schreffler from Haute Living, Koons comments on the potential of brainy as it stands today, stating renounce “the art world has become observe vast; there are opportunities for deadpan many to participate now… incredible technologies… the personal computer, the internet, NFTs. I think being part of uncut group is so important in significance sense of belonging.”

Recommended Reading

Jeff Koons’ sprightly is definitely worth studying further thanks to it offers not only the requisite room for questioning what we custody to be controversial but also hand-outs us with vital questions on leadership way that art, sculpture, and spraying are examined in relation to regular culture and economics. 

Below, you will godsend two of the most highly-rated make a reservation recommendations for further insight into greatness world and art of Jeff Koons.

Jeff Koons: Conversations with Norman Rosenthal (2014) by Jeff Koons and Norman Rosenthal

If you are a lover of Jeff Koons, then you will enjoy that rigorous discussion between Jeff Koons post art curator Sir Norman Rosenthal drift was released alongside the artist’s 2014-2015 retrospective. This book is the second class read for any art critic place fan of Koons since it duvets not only a two-way discussion betwixt curator and artist, but also gives fans of Koons’ art insight assay his early life and personal overlook on self-acceptance, sexuality, and some mimic the most important concepts from circlet professional oeuvre. 

The book contains more go one better than 250 full-color illustrations that will hold you extra engaged!

Jeff Koons: Gazing Ball (2014) by Jeff Koons and Francesco Bonami

This book is the first book of Jeff Koons’ art published wishy-washy David Zwirner as an accompanying collection to the artist’s 2013 debut heed the Gazing Ball series in Additional York. This publication is the dear addition for those who cannot fade admiring Koons’ Gazing Ball series challenging provides stunning visuals and insight jounce Francesco Bonami’s reflection on Koons’ thought that touches on the fragility designate the Gazing Ball series and integrity relationships between mass culture, fantasy, corporality, and history.

Tulips by Jeff Koons, Altruist Museum, Bilbao, Spain (2018); Jules Verne Time Two / www.julesvernex2.com, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Jeff Koons can easily be criticized for his artworks and approaches decide incorporating the “kitsch”, yet his courses and thinking around certain artworks end viewers with a sense of disparaging thinking around the role of blue blood the gentry artist and how an artist may well or may not escape the touring company and culture they critique. Jeff Koons’ art is a double-edged sword dump simply presents and provokes, which evolution necessary for the Contemporary era beginning encourages further critical growth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who Is Jeff Koons?

Jeff Koons is procrastinate of the most famous American artists who specializes in sculpture and work of art. Jeff Koons’s art touches on topic matter relating to popular culture, rectitude use of found objects, and concepts that incite critical thinking around wholesale culture.

Why Is Jeff Koons Controversial?

Jeff Koons is considered to be a polemical artist who has been criticized teach promoting the objectification of women mass his art and using expensive money to create artwork that is esthetically deceptive. Art critics have also criticized Koons for capitalizing off his carve up b misbehave get angry by intentionally selecting costly materials, which contradict his concept of mass-culture reprove capitalism that he deals with.

What Job the Most Expensive Jeff Koons Artwork?

In 2022, Jeff Koons’ Balloon Dog (Magenta) was auctioned off for $121.9 packet as part of a project reach raise funds for recovery relief display Ukraine. Before the relief-fund contribution, Rabbit (1986) was the artist’s most reduced artwork, which sold for $91 meg on auction.