Jeff Koons

Jeff Koons, born Jan. 21 1955, is one of the most well known modern American artists working today. Jeff lives a life that many contemporary men would envy, as he was married to (and is now divorced from) an Italian porn star. What is also impressive about Koons is that his sculpture 'Hanging Heart' was sold at Sotheby's in 2007 for 23.6 million dollars, setting the record for the most money spent on a work by a living artist. The sales of Koon's art remain almost unaffected by the recent economic downturn as his pieces have recently sold for as much as 11 million dollars. What I love about Jeff is that he freely admits that there is no hidden meaning behind his art! I cannot express to you through words how much I love that he admits this. He truly creates 'art for art's sake' which I admire. As a budding Art Historian I believe this kind of art is the hardest to create successfully because it involves the most natural creativity.
I first discovered Jeff Koons in the summer of 2008 when his works were exhibited on the roof garden of the Met in New York. I was instantly in love. His sculptures tower over the people looking at them, overpowering us in the most whimsical way possible. It was like being in my own private wonderland. The most captivating and probably almost the most popular of these sculptures is the one in the picture above entitled 'Balloon Dog.' Koons has reproduced this work in several different colors, many of which have been exhibited all over the world. A "Balloon Dog' was even featured in the popular move "A Night at the Museum 2," Where the dog comes to life in the museum and bounces around playfully with his fellow exhibited pieces.
It is possible for Koons to reproduce these colorful figures because of the impressive size of his work shop. Koons works mainly from a Warhol inspired workshop in SoHo New York which is staffed with almost 30 assistants each preforming their own tasks.

Want to see what Jeff Koons looks like? Forget Google, Watch 'Milk"- the Sean Penn movie in which Koons has a small role playing assemblyman Art Agnos!!!

As of July 2009 Koons went officially international having his first solo exhibition in London which features his collection of works entitled the "Popeye Series." The exhibition included cast models of the cartoon holding his famous can of spinach and smoking his pipe.