Jeff Koons: Art History | Art21 "Exclusive"

Episode #112: Jeff Koons describes how he likes to "communicate with other artists" by making art historical references — from Classical to Modern — in his sculptures and paintings.

Jeff Koons plucks images and objects from popular culture, framing questions about taste and pleasure. His contextual sleight-of-hand, which transforms banal items into sumptuous icons, takes on a psychological dimension through dramatic shifts in scale, spectacularly engineered surfaces, and subliminal allegories of animals, humans, and anthropomorphized objects. The subject of art history is a constant undercurrent, whether Koons elevates kitsch to the level of Classical art, produces photos in the manner of Baroque paintings, or develops public works that borrow techniques and elements of seventeenth-century French garden design. Organizing his own studio production in a manner that rivals a Renaissance workshop, Koons makes computer-assisted, handcrafted works that communicate through their meticulous attention to detail.

Learn more about Jeff Koons: http://www.art21.org/artists/jeff-koons

VIDEO | Producer: Wesley Miller & Nick Ravich. Interview: Susan Sollins. Camera: Kurt Branstetter & 
Joel Shapiro. Sound: Mark Mandler. Editor: Paulo Padilha & Mark Sutton. Artwork Courtesy: Jeff Koons. Special Thanks: Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• art
• artist
• visual
• contemporary
• jeff koons
• studio
• mca chicago
• painting
• sculpture
• childhood

[rcronico]

a couple kissing...in the shape of a heart....as a symbol of love. is he for real? how does he get away with this shit??

[polymath7]

Would somebody please kindly shoot Jeff Koons in the throat already?

[BodyHeaven]

@rcronico He is working withing field of common places and stereotypical symbol patterns.

[rcronico]

@sclapione i dont understand why i am not allowed to state my opinion. and it's alsoklind of funny that you went out of your way to search my youtube history. i actually like most of koons' works, but that symbol of love piece is a failure.

[sclapione]

@rcronico Well, stick to Russel Brand and all the other shit you have favourited then lol !

[sclapione]

Love his art, says so much about American workingclass and middleclass in the 60s .... white picket fence, seaside, romance, porn, 80s ....

Very humourous and at the same time highly aesthetical but with that very certain factor

[ashesofher]

@jhalfaro yes, yes! :D



[zkzkan]

i think Koon creates so much misunderstanding because he doesn't explain all of his intentions...

...unless everything he said was, well, everything. o_O

[chandru1103]

Damien is far superior.

[missmissus]

fuck jeff gonna kick yo butt