Jeff Koons talks art, porn and philosophy
In an interview with the top-selling artist during his visit to Art Basel, he says our cultural lives change and transform us
You pass by a particularly shiny window and catch a glimpse of yourself. You may stop to look, fix your hair, maybe even pull your phone out for a quick photo. You may have a moment where you realise you don’t actually look the way you feel that day. Or you might just keep walking, thinking nothing of it. But seeing your reflection, as non-phenomenal as it may seem, is quite the opposite. It’s something which lets you see yourself as an individual in the context of everything around you. It’s an immediate act of self-identity that’s uniquely human, and separates your consciousness from that of animals. It’s also a concept American artist Jeff Koons has spent much of his career exploring.
At this year’s Art Basel Hong Kong, each of Koons’ pieces on display at the David Zwirner booth had a reflective element to them. His large scale Bluebird Planter with its many small curves was made entirely from polished stainless steel. Meanwhile, not far from the planter sat an inflatable swan – deceivingly weightless-looking, but also crafted from polished stainless steel.
Another look around, and you would catch a distorted reflection of yourself in an impeccable blue gazing ball that’s been thoughtfully suspended in front of a famous Renaissance painting. You’re not sure which painting exactly, but you see yourself standing amid this busy art fair, your image now superimposed onto the image of this historical artwork – the sight of yourself there giving you slight satisfaction.
Philosophy and his art
The subject matter of Koons’ work can often be mistaken for frivolous or even superficial at first glance – especially when pieces like Balloon Dog, Play-Doh, String of Puppies, or Michael Jackson and Bubbles draw so heavily on childhood nostalgia, kitsch and pop culture. Despite that, the artist’s work is actually deeply rooted in philosophy.