Jeff Koons

I think art teaches us how to feel, what our parameters can be, and what sensations can be like; it makes you more engaged with life. – Jeff Koons 

How would you describe yourself? For Jeff Koons, he likes to keep you guessing. Known for his provocative creativity and playful imagery, Koons explores the familiar cycles of our human experience with a blend of Pop Art, Conceptual Art, and Minimalism. In doing so, Koons creates his own Post-Modern style that connects all corners of contemporary art. His unique iconography contrasts familiar objects and ideas with an added element of wonder. 

Born in Pennsylvania in 1955, Koons grew up in a working-class family and discovered a talent for drawing and painting at a young age. His father, who was an interior decorator, would often exhibit Koons’ work in the showroom of his workplace. This early understanding of art within the realm of commerce and the importance of self-promotion can be seen throughout Koons’ career. 

In the 1980s, Koons rose to fame with his conceptual-artistic series that featured inflatables, animals, vacuum cleaners and other everyday objects. In the same vein as Andy Warhol and Marcel Duchamp, Jeff Koons explores commodity, spectacle, celebrity and consumption in his art.