The Wrecked Heaven of Modern Artist Jeff Koons and His Muse Cicciolina

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p>Following Salvador Dali in terms of provocativeness and financial prosperity, Jeff Koons, the pioneer of appropriation, erases the line between art and banality. His vacuum cleaners may be seen as an homage to the ready-mades of Marcel Duchamp, while the most famous pieces - balloon animals made of steel - trick our perception in the manner of Tattooed Pigs, Gothic Trucks, and Sex-Rays of Wim Delvoye. Crossing the borders between art and other spheres, Koons also blends art and pornography. The result of this blending was shown in his Made in Heaven exposition, which consisted of pornographic shots and sculptures featuring himself and his wife, porn actress Cicciolina.

Fig. 1. Jeff Koons (gq.com)

Fig. 2. The cover of Artpop made by Koons, 2013 (livejournal.com)

Fig. 3. Beach House, oil on canvas 102 x 138 inches, 2003, Popeye series (jeffkoons.com)

Fig. 4. Hot Dog, Easyfan-Ethereal series, oil on canvas, 108 x 84 inches, 2002 (jeffkoons.com)

Fig. 5. Gazing Ball (Ariadne), plaster and glass, 44 3/8 x 93 7/8 x 36 5/8 inches, 2013 (twitter.com)

Fig. 6. Gazing Ball (Farnese Hercules), plaster and glass, 128 1/2 x 67 x 48 5/8 inches, 2013 (twitter.com)

Fig. 7. Dolphin, mirror-polished stainless steel with transparent color coating, 20 1/8 x 78 3/8 x 37 1/2 inches, 2007 (twitter.com)