Analysis Of The Unique Style Of The Prominent Pop-artist Jeff Koons

Just from looking at his works of art you can see that he has been influenced by pop artists. Although he will not consider himself a pop art (he is considered a Neo-Pop Artist), you can see this style was an influence on him especially through his use of the minimalist style and the bold colors of the pop art style. You can also see influences from other artists in his different pieces. Each different artwork seems to have a different artist influence behind it. You can see the influence of Dan Flavin and Marcel Duchamp in Koons use of fluorescent lights and use of readymade objects in his New Shelton Wet/Drys Tripledecker (1981) which also shows how his work is influenced by minimalism.

In Koons piece Michael Jackson and Bubbles (1988) you can see an influence from Michelangelo. Although this isn’t an influence you would think about, this sculpture has a very close resemblance to Michelangelo’s sculpture The Pietà. We can really see his pop art influence in his piece Double Hulk Elvis Origin Train Swish (2008) which was directly influenced by Andy Warhol. Overall, you can see his main influence is minimalism. Each of his works is unique its own way, but consistent in the use of minimalism.

Jeff Koons has a large collection of artworks, but there are some pieces that are more recognizable than others. Ushering in Banality (1968) was a part of a collection of sculptures called Banality and caused issues to arise since there was a use of copyrighted images and some of the sculptures have been sold for millions of dollars. Rabbit (1986) is a stainless-steel structure (the same as his famous balloon animals) and is 3 and a half feet tall. Recently this piece has come onto the market and is at an estimated worth of 50 to 70 million dollars. Michael Jackson and Bubbles (1988) is a porcelain sculpture which is also a part of his sculpture collection Banality.

This sculpture is “42 inches by 70.5 inches by 32.5 inches (Sutton)” and was considered to life size and was auctioned off for 5.6 million dollars. Bouquet of Flowers 2019 was recently done by Koons in order to commemorate the terror attacks that took place in France. “The 41-foot sculpture is fashioned from polychromed bronze, stainless steel and aluminum and portrays a hand clasping a bouquet of balloon-like tulips (Press)”. Three Ball 50/50 Tank (Two Dr. J. Silver Series, One Wilson Supershot) (1985) is a work that is made from basketballs and a fish tank filled with water.

Play-Doh (1994-2014) is an eleven-foot-tall sculpture made from aluminum. It is “one of five unique versions from the artist’s notoriously ambitious and pricey “Celebration” series (Kinsella).” Inflatable Balloon Flower (Yellow) (1997) is made from PVC and is an edition of 100. Puppy (1992) is 43 feet tall from head to toe. “The sculpture is formed from a series of stainless-steel armatures constructed to hold over 25 tons of soil watered by an internal irrigation system (Jeff Koons).” Niagara (2000) is an oil painting that was made to represent the items that played a large role in commercialized society which also was an influence of the pop art culture. Saddle (2003) is another oil painting and is worth up to 4 million dollars.

Jeff Koons was born in 1955 in York, Pennsylvania. The way that he came to give himself a name was through his use of everyday objects as art. His artwork usually focused on human interactions and can occasionally be sexual. He is very well known for his balloon animal sculptures and his sculpture he did of Michael Jackson. He went on to attend the “Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore” where went on to get his M.F.A. (Biography).

While he was in college, he attended an exhibition at the Whitney Museum that would then seem to change his life. This exhibition changed his life in a way that made him transfer to the Art Institution of Chicago which later lead to him receiving an honorary doctorate, but 30 years later. His first show took place in 1980. The way that he creates his art has now drifted towards the aid of computers for design. He also hired on technicians to help him build his pieces with more precision than just himself alone. With his use of everyday objects, he must try and find a way to make them more unique and he usually does this through playing with the color and size. He has also received a numerous number of awards over the years and is recognizable by many.

Koons uses a variety of techniques in the way he creates his art. He paints, creates installations, sculpture, and photography. His favorite technique is the computer aided art which is then put together by his assistants. He has used almost every material under the sun, so it seems. The biggest technique that we know Jeff Koons for is his steel and inflated steel which makes many of his sculptures.

“His work inspiration derives from things that you could find at a garage sale (“Jeff”). Koons also states that he inspired by the feelings that he has. These feelings become sensations that he then turns into art. He says, “Mark and edge, textures and colors, are tools that help communicate those sensations, that lay the aesthetic groundwork (Koons).” When he makes his work, he does it because he has a feeling and sensation about it. Koons also states that he makes his art for people to create their own history with the piece and become inspired themselves.

Koons has become an inspiration for many artists over the years, especially to artists who work in the field of commercialism. He gives artists the confidence to break out of their comfort zones and try something new and unique based on the things that surround them in everyday life. With the large scale and bold colors that he uses, it captures you from the moment that you see his work. He has donated many sculptures over the years, the most recent being Bouquet of Flowers in Paris to commemorate the tragedy of the terrorist attacks a few years ago. He has set a new level to art for others to look up to. Koons has also given lectures. One of his lectures that stood out to me was the one he gave at the David Rockefeller Lecture in 2018 that was on art and business and how it is important to try and connect the both in order to be successful.

For me, Jeff Koons has a very interesting and unique style. I appreciate how he makes bold moves in his work such as making them in larger scales. I like how his sculptures are often very realistic. His work also contains a child-like appearance which intrigues me. It could only be from the influence of pop art in his work, but you can really see this more in his paintings. I like how he uses everyday found objects as his inspiration.

There is something so simplistic yet complex about everything he creates. I will say, when I first found out that he didn’t create all of the artwork himself I was a little frustrated, but as I learned more about how complex these pieces are, I began to understand why he needs as much help as he does. I also appreciate that it is giving people in the art community jobs as well.