Jeff Koons

Born 1955 in York, Pennsylvania, lives and works in New York today.

After finishing his studies at an art school in Chicago and Baltimore, Koons moved to New York where he started to establish himself as an individual and independent artist.

Inspired by simplicity, his work with the approach of turning basic, sometimes cultural objects into artistic icons has had tremendous success worldwide. One of his pieces (‘The Balloon Dog’) achieved a record sum at a New York auction – no living artist has ever sold a piece for a higher price. Nevertheless, critics about Koons are divided: while some consider him among the stars of the century and praise his art as everlasting ingenuity, others dismiss it as cheap and overrated. The artist himself stated that his work has no hidden meaning. It isn’t political, there aren’t any society-related critics or inspirations but he creates what is inspired by illusions and fantasies of an abstract mind.

Since his first solo exhibition in his late 20s he has been represented and shown in major art galleries worldwide. Mixing, dividing and inspiring the art world, Koons has achieved numerous prices, broken records and is considered among the most significant post war artist despite the criticism about his ‘meaningless art’.

(Quelle: artsy, Newport Street Gallery)