4 of 5

Write now Article Tools

From his giant puppies to his scuptures of Michael Jackson and pet monkey, Jeff Koons has never failed to raise the level of controvesy in the art world. Here is a guy who, at one time, worked as a security guard in an art museum and now commands top dollar for his artwork, with museums fighting to own a work of his. People look at many of his pieces, for example, his silver rabbit sculpture, and wonder, how can a guy like this be called an artist? Is it really art? "I could have done that" is a frequent complaint heard when Jeff Koons's work is in the gallery.

Yet many said the same thing of Andy Warhol's Campbell soup cans or Jasper Johns's targets and flags or Roy Lichtenstein's comic book images. Much like these artists, and many more contemporary masters, Koons's work is more than what's in the eye of the beholder. Contemporary art necessarily holds a mirror up to society, and in modern times, that mirror frequently reflects back a consumer society fixated on celebrity culture, which Koons has captured masterfully in his work.

Jeff Koons, in that respect, is on a par with old masters like Van Gogh, Picasso and Dali, whose paintings and sculptures reflected the European societies in which they created. His work is even more closely aligned to contemporary stars like Warhol, Dine, Lichtenstein, and Johns. Like all of these artists, Jeff Koons and the artwork he produces are a result of the society in which he exists, and his work reflects that back to his audience. At first glance, his art may seem senseless, trivial even. However, given the backdrop of the milieu in which he is producing, it can be very powerful stuff indeed.

Learn more about this author, Christine Zibas.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Contemporary art: Is Jeff Koons' art overrated??
We want to hear your view. Write now!