Antenor

Herbens Antenor

Mr.Gallagher

Period 2-English

3-30-2010

Jeff “Ty”Koons

Jeff Koons was born in York, Pennsylvania in 1955(jeffkoons.com). He started

making art at the age of three. His art was an outlet and he used that outlet to get attention

from his parents. It worked because his parents had so much faith in his ability they got

him private lesson at the age of seven. His father a home decorator often sold some of his

pieces in his shop. His father taught Jeff about aesthetics, while his mom being a house

wife taught Jeff Koons about politics. Jeff Koons was self reliant as a kid and was always

familiar with making money. He used sell candy door to door just to raise money

(Roggeman). He studied at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore and the

School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He received a BFA from the Maryland Institute

College of Art in 1976. Mr. Koons lives and works in New York City and York,

Pennsylvania (jeffkoons.com). He also became a Wall Street broker just so he can fund

his artistic career (Collings 40).

Mr. Koons’ work has been exhibited internationally and is in numerous public

collections, including the Museum of Modern Art (New York, NY), Whitney Museum of

American Art (New York, NY), Guggenheim Museum (New York, NY), The National

Gallery (Washington, DC), Hirshhorn Museum (Washington, DC), San Francisco

Museum of Modern Art (San Francisco, CA), The Eli Broad Family Foundation (Santa

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Monica, CA), Tate Gallery (London, UK), Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam, the

Netherlands), Museum Ludwig (Köln, Germany), Tokyo Metropolitan Museum (Tokyo,

Japan) (jeffkoons.com).

Mr. Koons is also known for his public sculptures, such as the monumental floral

sculptures Puppy, shown at Rockefeller Center and permanently installed at the

Guggenheim Bilbao, and Split-Rocker, exhibited at the Papal Palace in Avignon, France.

Most recently, in 2006, Balloon Flower (Red) was unveiled at 7 World Trade Center in

New York City. (jeffkoons.com)

Mr. Koons has lectured at many universities and institutions, including Harvard

University (Cambridge, MA), Yale University (New Haven, CT), Columbia University

(New York, NY), New York University (New York, NY), the Royal Academy of Arts

(London, UK), the Museum of Modern Art (New York, NY), Corcoran Gallery of Art

(Washington, DC), and the Hirshhorn Museum (Washington, DC).(jeffkoons.com)

Jeff Koons believes that art is about finding grace in the world around us. Also

finding grace in worlds before ours by making connection to previous art or artist in out

history. This gives a sense of continuity although we don’t know who the previous artists

were. Even in music many artist grab bits and pieces from the past in previous songs and

recreate them and put it in there songs. Some people call it stealing but I believe its

recycling truly beautiful sounds or art. Everything beautiful is already out there to inspire,

It’s up to us to manifest the inspirations into something more concrete like a piece of art.

Jeff Koons posses this ability to manifest aesthetic things and he makes it a living, and

this living makes him a millionaire. He does so by thinking up ideas and having other

people make them into objects, using a well busy strategy called on assembly line. He

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also believes in doing what is necessary for effectiveness in your industry and

effectiveness is rated by how much money you’re making.

Michael Jackson one of the best of artist of his time, made some of the best songs

that we will hear for awhile, Michael Jackson recognized for his gifts at an early age. It

takes a prodigy to make a prodigy, so Jeff Koons took on the task of recreating one of the

worlds most famous and moving artist Michael Jackson and his pet monkey. Michael

Jackson and bubbles made with porcelain features two colors and two living things

portrayed as a three dimensional statue. The porcelain and ceramic statue was made in

1988. Around the time Michael Jackson changed his skin color and began to have a

couple surgeries. So Jeff Koons created the sculpture with all white skin with gold

clothing and red lips. How Michael Jackson often appeared at the time. Jeff Koons likes

Michael Jackson for the fact that he does what’s necessary for effectiveness in his

industry. Although many people think Michael Jackson is confused or crazy but Mr.

Koons believes he’s misunderstood. Koons respects that Michael Jackson is realistic and

keeps it real. And for Michael to be effective in his industry he had to become mullato or

white so he can climb near heights in terms of fame and to be accepted in this country as

top artist. Although it seems extreme, but we live in a country controlled by the industry.

And the industry doesn’t accept there top pop sensations as an African American. Also

the same people that destroyed Michael Jackson images through the media are the same

people that called Jeff Koons art sexists, racist, or evil. The industry and the media, often

working together, try to destroy artist who advocate freedom and free choice. The media

jumped on the opportunity to destroy Michael Jackson when he adopted Bubbles from

Texas, just because Michael likes animals that much. Although Michael Jackson died

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from his doctor who drug him to death, Bubbles remains alive in primate sanctuary in

Florid. Thanks to Jeff Koons we’ll be able to see beautiful gold ceramic statue of a

friendship before tragedy and media attacked.

The porcelain statue of Michael Jackson and pet monkey Bubbles its extreme

glossy. Michael Jackson hair is gold and his scalp is white. His face is extremely pale

with gold eyebrows. Michael Jackson has make-up on his face; he has a shade of red on

his check just to show some life in him. He has red lipstick and black eyeliner. He also

does wear all this in person. Michael is looking away but Bubbles is looking right at us.

It’s me feel like he’s the owner of Michael Jackson. He also has all gold fur that blends in

his gold sleeves and pants. Both he and Michael have clammy white hands. While

bubbles sleeves are rolled up Michaels sleeve all the way down with white cuffs. They sit

on a small replica floor that is only large enough to fit him and Bubbles in that position.

Michael sits with is right leg out slightly bent and his left leg under his right slightly bent.

And he keeps his balance with his left hand off his hip. All around them are golden-

bronze flowers and pedals for decoration

Among his celebration line, are his assemblies of balloon dogs and other

childhood objects, “as an attempt to recapture the lost newness of childhood” (Collings

47). Jeff Koons recreated clowns trade of twisting balloons for kids into giant metallic

statue that appear to be blown up. The direction of the celebration line was from 1995-

1998 and consisted of symbols for Easter, Valentines Day, and Christmas. His childish

series of art was inspired by his new born son in October 1992, as if the world was

reproduced through his sons eyes (Pandorian). Jeff Koon’s taste for childish art increased

when his ex-wife Cicciolina kidnapped there son to Italy.

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Jeff Koons magenta nine foot tall, four foot thick, hanging heart with gold ribbons

is one Jeff Koons most effective piece of art. The heart weighs over 3500 pounds, making

it as heavy as a narwhal. Koons and his team of 80 artist spent about 6000 hours laboring

on one hanging heart made of high chromium stainless steel. The gigantic heart took 10

years to complete and took the hearts of the high end of the economic food chain. Jeff

Koons believes he’s a straight forward guy making ordinary folk content, but the only

straight forward thing about Koons is his ability to make, advertise, and sell expensive art

to wealthy people. Jeff Koons is a true Tycoon selling his magenta heart in 2006 for 23.6

millions dollars. Making sure that all the hours, team of artist, and all ten layers of paint

is paid for. Since there is four other version of the hanging heart, (Red/Gold, Silver/Blue,

Violet/Gold, Gold/Red), there is plenty of opportunity to make more money. This making

Jeff Koons one of the richest most famous sculptors of our time. The hanging heart is

apart of Jeff Koons celebration series, a line of stainless steel objects coated in several

layers of paint. All of pieces of art in the celebration line are very shiny flashy pieces of

painted metal, painted precisely to glow a certain way.

The balloon dog is a great example of pieces in the celebration line, balloon dogs

were created from 1994 to 2000. Creating anything and everything that was celebratory

and youthful. And nothing was more celebratory and youthful than balloon animals. The

appreciation for celebration was also inspired by his son 2nd and 3rd birthday. And all the

items fro his son around him appealed to him like never before. Like he was celebrating

life all over like he was just born. Jeff Koons also said there was nothing he was more

proud of than his children hands down.

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The balloon dog comes in 5 unique fun colors, Blue, Magenta, Yellow, Orange,

and Red. The dog stands about ten ft. tall and 12 ft. wide, that’s a really big balloon dog.

All though it’s called balloon dog, its looks like a balloon dog, its not made of rubber it

all. Actually its made of a shiny stainless steal, painted with several transparent colored

paint to give it a balloon feel. Jeff Koons sensitivity for detail allows him to fabricate the

metal to bend and inflate everywhere the balloon dog would bend and inflate. The giant

steel pup has lips of the butt of the balloon just like a real balloon dog. The balloon dog

has two real thick ears, and a thick nose, its get real skinny where all those meet. Then it

gets fat again at the neck until its approaches two legs and long narrow body. Finally as

you reach the back of the balloon dog it gets skinny again as it connects to the tail and the

hind legs. And just like a balloon dog at the tail remains apart of the balloon where air

doesn’t accompany.

Jeff Koons Popeye and blow up lobster. Popeye is in the front and south side of

the photo in comic print. The balloon lobster overlooks him with gazing eyes and Popeye

seems to have no idea. Popeye is wearing his classic sailor outfit. He is wearing a blue

faded slash black shirt with a dull classic red collar, and a black strip going horizontally

across. And of course he has the anchor tattoo on his oversized right fore arm. Popeye has

his left eye open and his right eye closed, Pipe in his right hand. He has a pipe like he

always smoke in the cartoon. The pipe is brown seems to be wooden and has eight

indents in them. Two sets of four. Who knows what he is smoking but he is smoking it

through his chin. He had a white hat that matches his white buttons and white sleeves.

The hat seems to be a more creamy white as the button and cuffed sleeves seem more

greenish.

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The lobster is mostly shiny orange red face with orange red antennae’s still facing

north while his body hangs south. His antennas that are orange red hanging off his face

and there is black antennas is attached to the body. The lobster has big googly eyes, much

expected for a blow up lobster. Black eyes white center representing glare and brown

pupil. The lobster has lots of golden yellow dots on his forehead, they remind me of acne.

20 yellow dots on his forehead 10 on each side of his forehead. The dots are in pyramid

formation, most of the dots being at the top of his face. The dots decrease as you go up.

The lobster is completing symmetrical. Whatever is on one side of the lobster is on the

other. Red claws with long white glare on the outside, shorter glare on the inside claw.

Both claws have yellow interior outlined with a black line. Not sure if this is a red blow

up lobster or a drawing.

The red balloon lobster is in front of a yellow looking fence. It’s actually not a

balloon lobster but a replica of one made with stainless and painted to make it seem as if

it was an actual balloon lobster. The lobster seems to be climbing down the yellow fence

to prey on Popeye. Or it is not a yellow fence at all it could be a yellow net and the

lobster is sliding free. Both Popeye and the lobster seem to be on the same plane

overlapping everything. Next is the yellow fence slash net which overlaps white lines

which could be drawing and green natural scenery White Mountains and one of the

mountains is al black due to placing of the sun. There is no sun so that could possibly

mean the sun is behind the mountain which is a good reason for the mountain being

black.

There are two greened leaved flower bushes that seem to be suspended in the air

with white flowery centers. And on the various brown colored floor looks like cabbage

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leaves. The floor is three shades of brown seem like fields altered by cultivating. All this

is in the last layer in the picture. Behind the black mountain there are more green

mountains, and a few trees. At the base of the tree seems to be a fence. On the south west

part of the picture seems to be bricks and or the bedrock of the drawing. And if there are

bricks then the mountains and the plant life are on top of a building

The most mysterious part of the drawing is the white lines. I know they are not

just lines they are an outline of something or a picture something. All five aspects of the

picture: Popeye, the lobster, the brick building, the white lines, and the natural scenery

have no relation. However Jeff Koons finds a away to make it one picture. What

significance does Jeff Koons have for having the pipe protrude Popeye’s chin. He isn’t

smoking anything because there is nothing in the pip and there is no smoke. Unless the

white lines are suppose to be a sign of smoke, there are a few black lines under on top of

his pipe. Those lines are used to describe action and there are a few lines of action or

movement by his chin too. So either Popeye is forcing the pipe in his chin or trying to

pull it out and free himself from it.

Jeff Koons believes Popeye reminds him of his father an optimistic man, this

painting is like Jeff Koons other works, with everyday kid’s toys and old cartoons. Just

like his other blow up resemblance made up stainless steal. It also has a pop art feel with

a lot of pictures accompany one canvas. Making art like some his role models, Duchamp

and Andy Warhol. All of Koons cartoon art has an optimistic feel to it. It makes you feel

happy and childish, you look at his celebration line it doesn’t have a trace of gloom in

them. None of Jeff Koons work is about sadness, you look at his work and the happiness

will rub off on you, you will leave happy.

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Works Cited

Biography. Jeff Koons. http://www.jeffkoons.com/site/index.html

Collings, Matthew. Modern Painters Writers on Artists. New Yorks: DK publishing, 2001

Koons, Jeff. “Koons on Koons”. Modern Painters June 2006: 64-65.Jeff Koons steals the show at the reopening of the Palazzo Grassi in Venice with searing fuscia dog and suspended stainless-steal heart

Koons, Jeff. “Koons on Koons”. Modern Painters June 2006: 26“Art is an important journey” it was something Koons did well, better than his siblings. And art was important in Koons in family so it automatically gave him more attention. He felt that he thrived because of his connection to art history

Koons, Jeff. ‘Koons on Koons”. Modern Painters June 2006:66-71Art is a community that cares about each other not money. It was never my intention shock people but to tell the truth. It just so happens that the truth is shocking.

“Jeff Koons by Christopher Nash” The Pandorian.http://thepandorian.com/forum/jeff-koons-by-christopher-nash/

Plagens, Peter. “Jeff Koons hanging heart” Newsweek Dec. 2008: 53. http://find.galegroup.com.ezproxy.bpl.org/gtx/infomark.do?prodId=EAIM&userGroupName=mlin_b_bpublic&version=1.0&type=retrieve&docId=A190668971&searchType=AdvancedSearchForm

Roggeman, Anouchka. “Interview with Jeff Koons.” Modern Painters June 2006: 66.

Gayford, Martin. Apollo 167.552 Mar. 2008: 140http://find.galegroup.com.ezproxy.bpl.org/gtx/infomark.do?prodId=EAIM&userGroupName=mlin_b_bpublic&version=1.0&type=retrieve&docId=A177266353&searchType=AdvancedSearchForm

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Works Consulted

“How does Jeff Koons do it to me?”Art Us Nov.26 2009:18-27http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com.ezproxy.bpl.org/hww/results/results_common.jhtml;hwwilsonid=ELYUQZUTD01NLQA3DIKSFGGADUNGIIV0

Art Review no.34 Sept. 2009: 94-95http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com.ezproxy.bpl.org/hww/results/

results_common.jhtml;hwwilsonid=ELYUQZUTD01NLQA3DIKSFGGADUNGIIV0

“Jeff Koons: Museum of contemporary art”. Modern Painters v.20 no.8 Oct. 2008: 113http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com.ezproxy.bpl.org/hww/results/results_common.jhtml;hwwilsonid=ELYUQZUTD01NLQA3DIKSFGGADUNGIIV0

“Jeff Koons to create New BMW Art Car”. Pr Newswire Feb. 12, 2010: N/Ahttp://infotrac.galegroup.com.ezproxy.bpl.org/itw/infomark/1/1/1/purl=rc1_BRC_0_A218078027?sw_aep=mlin_b_bpublic

The New York Times July, 3 2009: c21http://find.galegroup.com.ezproxy.bpl.org/gtx/retrieve.do?contentSet=IAC-Documents&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&qrySerId=Locale%28en%2CUS%2C%29%3AFQE%3D%28sp%2CNone%2C2%2921%3AAnd%3AFQE%3D%28iu%2CNone%2C5%2954725%3AAnd%3AFQE%3D%28sn%2CNone%2C9%290362-4331%3AAnd%3AFQE%3D%28vo%2CNone%2C3%29158%24&sgHitCountType=None&inPS=true&sort=DateDescend&searchType=AdvancedSearchForm&tabID=T004&prodId=AONE&searchId=R1&currentPosition=2&userGroupName=mlin_b_bpublic&docId=A202901014&docType=IAC

200001887661-7

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