The Paintings of Jeff Koons: 1994 – 2008
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THE PAINTINGS OF JEFF KOONS: 1994 – 2008 A Thesis Submitted to the Temple University Graduate Board ________________________________________________________________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree MASTER OF ARTS By Ian J. Zoller January 2010 Thesis Approvals: Dr. Gerald D. Silk, Thesis Advisor, Art History Department Dr. Susanna W. Gold, Art History Department ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thank you to my professor and advisor, Dr. Gerald Silk, for his insights, comments, and advice, which helped me craft my thesis into its present form. Also, thank you to my second reader, Dr. Susanna Gold, for her willingness to be a part of this process and for providing thoughtful insight into my paper. Thank you to the Temple Art History Department secretary, Michelle Gudknecht, for her assistance in a variety of areas either directly or indirectly connected to the completion of my thesis and Master’s degree. Thank you to my parents, James and Donna Zoller, for their concern and never- ending encouragement in the pursuit of this Master’s degree. Mom, thank you for the regular inquiries about my thesis and for reminding me that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Pop, thank you for giving me the article on Jeff Koons to begin with, which proved to be the impetus for my thesis topic. Thank you also for reading my proposal and first draft and providing feedback which helped me to think constructively about my writing as well as encouraging me to persevere through many frustrations. Thank you to my new wife, Kristen, for gently encouraging me along the way before and after our marriage while pursuing her own Master’s degree. Kristen, when I was ready to throw in the towel you motivated me to see this endeavor through to the end. The completion of this thesis and degree represents hope for the future and a chance to continue bettering myself. iii FORWARD In the beginning stages of formulating my thesis topic my father handed me an article from The New Yorker, as he often does, entitled “The Turnaround Artist.”1 It was about Jeff Koons and his remarkable resurgence as a force in contemporary art. At that point I was flexible about my topic and only knew I wanted to deal with contemporary art from the 1980’s or beyond. I was also interested in looking at art in the 21st century and what types of art or artists would lead the way. After reading the first paragraph in which Koons says, “In this century, there was Picasso and Duchamp. Now I’m taking us out of the twentieth century,” I knew I was on to something. 2 Not only was this an artist who acknowledged the accomplishments of the last century but also the lack of leadership in our present decade and had the courage, confidence and ambition to assume that mantle. Here, in one man, I had found a contemporary artist who not only made a significant arrival on the art scene in the , but also was continuing to make challenging and vital work in the new century. My previous exposure to Jeff Koons came primarily through art history texts where he is generally represented by vacuum cleaners encased in Plexiglas from his 1980 – 81 series The New. Admittedly, I hated this sterile-looking conceptual art that appeared to be simply piggybacking on the shoulders of Duchamp’s innovations. As I read The New Yorker article, however, I became aware that there was much more to Koons than I previously realized and I was determined to discover what it was. How could an artist that commanded blue-chip prices as a newcomer in the continue to be a top artist in the 1 Calvin Tomkins, “The Turnaround Artist”, The New Yorker, vol. 83, no. 9 (April 23, 2007), 58 – 67. 2 Tomkins, 59. iv 2000’s unless there was more to him than rehashed Duchampian clichés? Additionally, I was intrigued by a man who garners as much vitriol as praise even from the beginning of his career. At the very least, this was an interesting man. Initially I intended to use Koons as a vehicle to look more deeply at the particulars of the 1980’s, his first decade as a professional artist. I was intrigued by the decade for a number of reasons: the clash of ideologies and generations: latter day Modernism with youthful Postmodernism as well as aging Pop artists like Warhol mingling with a new generation of consumer-obsessed artists. Also, I wanted to investigate the particulars of Postmodernism: what does it mean? How does it manifest itself? Is it still relevant today? Additionally, I was intrigued by the myriad artists who came to prominence in this decade: David Salle, Eric Fischl, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Haim Steinbach, Peter Halley, Julian Schnabel, etc. Of course I soon discovered that here was a hundred theses alone. With this in mind, and my growing appreciation of Koons, I decided to keep the focus on the artist who piqued my interest to begin with. Among the literature on Koons there is a noticeable disparity between the texts that deal with his sculptures and 1980’s output and those that deal specifically with his paintings and his post-1980’s work. With that in mind I narrowed my focus to look at his paintings, a topic I believe has been underserved in the literature. What I hope to contribute to the body of writing that exists on Koons is a cohesive and coherent look at his paintings and how they enhance and inform his oeuvre as a whole. Therefore, I hope to add a new dimension to the understanding and appreciation of this increasingly prominent aspect of his work that is often overlooked. In closing, I hope the reader will v gain an increased understanding and appreciation for the paintings of Jeff Koons and a more complete picture of the artist who is leading us into the new century. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………………………………………………….ii FORWARD........................................................................................................................iii LIST OF FIGURES……………………………………………………………………...vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………1 CHAPTER 2: EARLY CAREER The 1980’s………………………………………………………………………...6 Context: The Early 1990’s……………………………………………………….12 CHAPTER 3: THE PAINTINGS Studio Practice, Sources, Influences……………………………………………..15 Painting and Art History…………………………………………………………19 CHAPTER 4: THE SERIES (1994 – PRESENT) Celebration (1994 – 1998)……………………………………………………….22 Easyfun (1999 – 2000)…………………………………………………………...27 Easyfun-Ethereal (2000 – 2002)…………………………………………………28 Popeye (2002 – 2003)……………………………………………………………34 Hulk Elvis (2007-PRESENT)……………………………………………………40 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………..45 BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………………………..49 FIGURES………………………………………………………………………………...53 vii LIST OF FIGURES Fig. 1 Inflatable Flower and Bunny (Tall White, Pink Bunny) (1979) …………………53 Fig. 2 Toaster (1979)……………………………………………………………………53 Fig. 3 New Hoover Deluxe Shampoo Polishers, New Hoover Quik-Broom, New Shelton Wet/Dry 5 Gallon, New Shelton Wet/Dry 10 Gallon Tripledecker (1981-1987)………...54 Fig. 4 Dr. Dunkenstein (1985)…………………………………………………………..55 Fig. 5 One Ball Total Equilibrium Tank (Spalding Dr. J 241 Series) (1985)…………..55 Fig. 6 Jim Beam - J.B. Turner Engine (1986)……………………………………………………………………………56 Fig. 7 Bob Hope (1986)…………………………………………………………………56 Fig 8. Rabbit (1986)………………………………………………..…………………………..57 Fig. 9 Michael Jackson and Bubbles (1988)…………………………………………………………………………..58 Fig. 10 Ushering in Banality (1988)………………………………………………………………………….58 Fig. 11 Ilona on Top (Rosa Background) (1990)……………………………………………………………………..59 Fig. 12 Puppy (1992)……………………………………………………………………59 Fig. 13 Auto (2001)……………………………………………………………………...60 Fig. 14 Jeff in the Position of Adam (1990)……………………………………………………………………………..60 Fig. 15 Cake (1995–1997)…………………………………………………...……...…61 Fig. 16 Plate Set (1995–1998)…………………………………………………………61 Fig. 17 Ribbon (1995–1997)………………………………………………………...….62 Fig. 18 Shelter (1996–1998)…………………………………………………………....62 Fig. 19 Donkey (1996–1999)…………………………………………………...………63 viii Fig. 20 Balloon Dog (1995-1998)…………………………………………………...…63 Fig. 21 Balloon Dog (Yellow) (1994-2000)…………………………………………..…64 Fig. 22 Donkey (Orange) (1999)………………………………………………………..64 Fig. 23 Cut-Out (1999)…...……………………………………………………………65 Fig. 24 Pot Rack (2000)………...………………………………………………………66 Fig. 25 Cheeky (2000)………………………………………………………………......66 Fig. 26 Pam (2001)……………………………………………………………………..67 Fig. 27 Moustache Lobsters (2003)…………………………………………………….68 Fig. 28 Lobster Log (2003)……………………………………………………………..68 Fig. 29 Popeye (2003)…………………………………………………………………..69 Fig. 30 Elvis (2003)……………………………………………………………………...69 Fig. 31 Hulk Elvis II (2007)……………………………………………………………70 Fig. 32 Monkey Train (Orange) (2007)…………………………………………………71 Fig. 33 Waterfall Couple (Dots) Blue Swish (2008)…………………………………...71 Fig. 34 Landscape (Tree) II (2007)………………………...……………………………72 1 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION American artist Jeff Koons (b.1955) has been making artwork based on advertising imagery and mass-produced objects since the late 1970’s. Most observers of contemporary art know his conceptual and Pop inspired pieces from the 1980’s: encased vacuum-cleaners, the stainless steel inflatable Rabbit, the sensationalized pornography of Made in Heaven, all of which have been well documented. His sculpture garners the majority of critical attention but paintings have been an important, if not exclusive, element of every series of Koons’ work for the last fifteen years. Still, his paintings have not received substantive attention. His reputation as primarily a sculptor and provocateur is in need of a reassessment: He has devoted an increasing amount of effort to