Keith Scerri: Jeff Koons

He is a 58 year old American artist who was born and works in York Pennsylvania. His father was a furniture dealer and interior decorator, while his mother was a seamstress. To gain some pocket money, as a child, after school Koons went door to door selling wrapping paper and candy. He works as an illustrator, painter and sculptor. Koons is well known for being a contemporary artist with works of art touched by an eclectic array of sensibilities.

Some of his art works such as his balloon dogs show his art which consist of neo-kitsch forms while some other of his art works consist of overly sexual themes. His work reflects the commercial systems of the modern world as of those examples of pop artists of the 1960s.

Some of his works include Vacuum cleaners encased in Perspex which were monuments to sterility.

Koons stated that his work had no hidden meanings nor any critiques. This divided critics on the views towards Koons work. The critics, contradicting his rerasoning say that his art work as pioneering and major importance to the history of art. Others felt as though his work was cynical self-merchandising.

In the mid-1980s Koons rose to prominence. This was a generation were artists explored the meaning of art in a media-situated time. He gained recognition and set up a studio which was staffed and running like a factory with 30 assistants. These assistants were tasted with producing different aspects of his work. These days the factory has grown with 91 regular assistants. To be able to execute his canvases and sculptures with the impression and consistency as if they had been done by the same single hand, Koons developed a color-by-number system.

Jeff Koons many Art Work Series incllude:

The Pre-New, The New, and Equilibrium series

The Pre-New – A result of a configuration of a series of domestic objects attached to light fixtures.

The New – A series of vacuum-cleaners mounted in illuminated Perspex boxes. These were displayed as though in a showroom around a central red fluorescent light box with the words “The New” in a style as though to announce a new marketing brand.

Equilibrium series – Working with a prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman. Tanks filled with distilled water and a small amount of salt, were able to suspend hollow balls in the centre of the tank filled with water. While in another version of 50/50 Tanks the tanks were filled only half way, the balls were floating half in and out of the water.

Statuary Series – sculptures using inflatable toys cast with highly polished stainless steel like for example The Rabbit.

Luxury and Degradation series - hand-made renderings of alcohol-related paraphernalia, as well as reprinted and framed ads for drinks

Made in Heaven series - artwork about the media on a billboard.

Celebration series - large-scale sculptures and paintings of others balloon dogs, Valentine hearts, diamonds, and Easter eggs.