Documentary: The South Bank Show: The World of Jeff Koons (ITV 13th December 1992, 60mins) Editor: Melvyn Bragg
Didn't make the art work himself - hired skilled craftsmen
Is the aspect of being an artist to break the rules?
The boundary between what is good and bad. What is quality? When bad becomes good?
Relating to the postmodernist theory of Binary Oppositions
“According to Derrida, it has been a
characteristic of the western philosophical
and scientific tradition since the classical
times to think in binary oppositions.”
He left art school to live amongst society not in the world of 'art student community' to experience the 'real' world so to speak.
He found painting too subjective, he wanted to do something more objective.
Working with things in the real world - he wouldn't manipulate the object just display them. (The New Hoover Convertibles, New Shelton Wet/Drys 5-Gallon, Double Decker)
He took something that was already existing and put it into a different concept.
This relates back to Marcel Duchamp and his 'ready-mades' - The Fountain and the Bicycle wheel on top of a stool - Bicycle Wheel (1913).
The ideas of Duchamp were taken a step further in the mid eighties by Koons.
The traditions of an artist having no money and having to survive on what they had, making their materials with what they had was 'abolished' (if I can use that word to describe what Koons did).
Living in the real world, a mass produced teleological advancing world, Koons picked up on this fact and therefore reflected this in his work by using fabricators and highly expensive materials.
He made people look at the strange upside down world for the first time - basically rubbed our noses in it!
He managed to maintained the integrity and morality about art.
Some may looked at his art very perversely. Take for example the 'Rabbit'. ("Rabbit" Jeff Koons 1986). Stainless Steel 41 x 19 x 12 inches. Here he took something soft and inflatable and made it ridged and impermeable with its wrinkles (so to speak as a balloon animal would be).
Rational with the irrational
He made people try to trust their intuition and understand the past in order to ace pt his work.
Another reason for choosing craftsmen to produce his work was for the public to gain a sense of familiar-ness - so they didn't feel distance from the work.
He was in control of his work like Disney would hire someone to produce a Mickey Mouse statue at Disney World.
The symbols of banality (something that is trite, obvious, or predictable; a commonplace) in Jeff Koons' work flys in the face of the Modern movement. During the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s, and denotes the style and philosophy of the art produced during that era. Decorative (one word to describe it)
“Modernism is a trend of thought that affirms the
power of human beings to create, improve, and
reshape their environment, with the aid of scientific
knowledge, technology and practical
experimentation, and is thus in its essence both
progressive and optimistic.”
His works:
'Michael Jackson and Bubbles', (1988. Ceramic) shows purity and the feeling of being untouchable.
Some people liked this for perverse reasons.
'Puppy' 1992 12m high made of live flowers with steel structure beneath.
Koons said this piece was about generosity and spiritual in meaning.
The undomesticated puppy in front of a baroque setting makes the public feel like they're in Disneyland.
I feel a new name for Koons should be Walt Koons! - creating his own kitsch Disney world.
Ilona on top (Rose Background) (1990) - Cicciolina with Jeff Koons
The image is very objective on a subjective background. Maintaining onto the aspects of romanticism, holding onto many qualities seen in romantic painting.
Another 'fact' within this painting (relating to its trueness) was that Jeff Koons was actually in that position in real life. In this he translated human activity (mostly seen as personal perhaps crude and vulgar and not art!) into a romantic, tranquil, Utopian reflection.
Koon's work is sentimental flat out!
He was an artist which understood art of his time. He was able to leap ahead with prosperity.
The construction of his ideas gave the mass produced culture an iconic push so to speak. Ending the 20th Century.
Tuesday, 16 November 2010
Monday, 15 November 2010
Bourriaud
'Human society is structured by narratives, immaterial scenarios, which are more or less claimed as such and are translated by lifestyles, relationships to work or leisure, institutions and ideologies. Economic decision-makers project scenarios onto the world market.' (Bourriaud 2002:45)
'By manipulating the shattered forms of the collective scenario, that is, by considering them not indisputable facts but precarious structures to be used as tools, these artists produce singular narrative spaces which their work is the mise-en-scene (visual theme)'(Bourriaud 2002:46)
Discuss Koons work in these terms, how he shatters the sense of reality to create his visual theme so to speak.
'By manipulating the shattered forms of the collective scenario, that is, by considering them not indisputable facts but precarious structures to be used as tools, these artists produce singular narrative spaces which their work is the mise-en-scene (visual theme)'(Bourriaud 2002:46)
Discuss Koons work in these terms, how he shatters the sense of reality to create his visual theme so to speak.
Sunday, 14 November 2010
Lyotard's arguements with duchamp
Belsey, Catherine. 2002. Post structuralism. Oxford University Press: Oxford.
"Realism, Lyotard argues, protects us from doubt" (Belsey.2002:102)
"The postmodern, or the avant-garde, refuses to conform to pre-exisiting rules. (Give example here)
http://www.imprint.co.uk/Art/jcsmainframe.html
The Emergence of Art and Language in the Human Brain
Erich Harth, Department of Physics, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244- 1130 USA. Email: erich_harth@prodigy.com
'Our brains are characterized by sensory pathways that are highly reflexive, allowing higher cortical centres to control neural activity patterns at peripheral sensory areas. This feature is characterized as an internal sketchpad and involves recursive interactions between central symbols and peripheral images. The process is assumed to be the fundamental mechanism underlying most cognitive functions. The paper attempts to portray the beginnings of art and language as natural extensions of these pre-existing internal processes, made possible by the greatly enlarged human prefrontal cortex. It views these highly social activities as originating in subjective, private discourse between the emerging self and its externalized expressions.'
Instead Lyotard argues, 'the postmodern artist or writer are working without rules, in order to discover what rules governing their work will have been. The Postmodern is both too early and too late: to early for the public, since it must be new and too late for the author who cannot know in advance whether it will prove to be intelligible, pleasurable, or absurd.'
[Relate to Koon's case here - bring in cultural thoughts on his work]
Lyotard put forward a strong plea for continued artist dissent (dissent is a sentiment or philosophy of non-agreement or opposition to a prevailing idea) He argued "Cultures need the challenge of new forms if they are not to settle into complacency or worse, terror". (Belsey 2002:100)
Realism offers us a picture of the world, in a way a safe guard from all the uncertainties in life and art. In the process of realism we can affirm the subjects and images we see as true.
Postmodernity in Lyotard's account specifies a different literary and artistic mode rather than a particular period.
Duchamp's challenge to realism is the intelligible (coherent / understandable) as postmodern. In my eyes he thrusted realism into our faces. People wanted art to be true to realism and overly subjective in order to 'accept' it. So what did Duchamp do? He produced something which was very 'real', showed the audience a true object of everyday....the urinal.
In the production of 'the Fountain' , a reproduced photographic work of Richard's Mutts urinal was when it all came down to it...ready made. So is this why this work was accepted...because it was 'culturally relative'?
"Realism, Lyotard argues, protects us from doubt" (Belsey.2002:102)
"The postmodern, or the avant-garde, refuses to conform to pre-exisiting rules. (Give example here)
http://www.imprint.co.uk/Art/jcsmainframe.html
The Emergence of Art and Language in the Human Brain
Erich Harth, Department of Physics, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244- 1130 USA. Email: erich_harth@prodigy.com
'Our brains are characterized by sensory pathways that are highly reflexive, allowing higher cortical centres to control neural activity patterns at peripheral sensory areas. This feature is characterized as an internal sketchpad and involves recursive interactions between central symbols and peripheral images. The process is assumed to be the fundamental mechanism underlying most cognitive functions. The paper attempts to portray the beginnings of art and language as natural extensions of these pre-existing internal processes, made possible by the greatly enlarged human prefrontal cortex. It views these highly social activities as originating in subjective, private discourse between the emerging self and its externalized expressions.'
Instead Lyotard argues, 'the postmodern artist or writer are working without rules, in order to discover what rules governing their work will have been. The Postmodern is both too early and too late: to early for the public, since it must be new and too late for the author who cannot know in advance whether it will prove to be intelligible, pleasurable, or absurd.'
[Relate to Koon's case here - bring in cultural thoughts on his work]
Lyotard put forward a strong plea for continued artist dissent (dissent is a sentiment or philosophy of non-agreement or opposition to a prevailing idea) He argued "Cultures need the challenge of new forms if they are not to settle into complacency or worse, terror". (Belsey 2002:100)
Realism offers us a picture of the world, in a way a safe guard from all the uncertainties in life and art. In the process of realism we can affirm the subjects and images we see as true.
Postmodernity in Lyotard's account specifies a different literary and artistic mode rather than a particular period.
Duchamp's challenge to realism is the intelligible (coherent / understandable) as postmodern. In my eyes he thrusted realism into our faces. People wanted art to be true to realism and overly subjective in order to 'accept' it. So what did Duchamp do? He produced something which was very 'real', showed the audience a true object of everyday....the urinal.
In the production of 'the Fountain' , a reproduced photographic work of Richard's Mutts urinal was when it all came down to it...ready made. So is this why this work was accepted...because it was 'culturally relative'?
Thursday, 11 November 2010
METANARRATIVES
In postmodern philosophy, a metanarrative is an untold story that unifies and totalizes the world, and justifies a culture's power structures. Metanarratives are not usually told outright, but are reinforced by other more specific narratives told within the culture
Jean Baudrillard - hyperreality
Simulacra and Simulation is a philosophical treatise by Jean Baudrillard
Baudrillard claims that modern society has replaced all reality and meaning with symbols and signs, and that the human experienceis of a simulation of reality rather than reality itself.
Baudrillard suggests that the world we live in has been replaced
by a copy world, where we seek simulated stimuli and nothing
more.
“…his postmodern universe is one of hyperreality in which entertainment,information, and communication technologies provide experiences more intense and involving than the scenes of banal everyday life, as well as the codes and models that structure everyday life. The realm of the hyperreal (relates to Jeff Koon's Play-Doh and Balloon Animals)is more real than real, whereby the models, images, and codes of the hyperreal come to control thought and behavior…
From the celebration series...
Play-Doh, 1995-2004, Oil on canvas. 334x282.2cm
A Balloon Dog, 1994-99, high chromium stainless steel with transparent colour coating. 307.3 x 363.2 x 11.3cm
This group of work known as the 'Celebration' series represents individual objects close up. Realized in hyperrealist style, the images linked to childhood seem to invade the viewer's visual space and communicate an engrossing and joyful universe (particularly reflected in the Play-Doh work)
…In other words, an individual in a postmodern world becomes merely an
entity influenced by media, technological experience, and the hyperreal…”
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/baudrillard/
Baudrillard claims that modern society has replaced all reality and meaning with symbols and signs, and that the human experienceis of a simulation of reality rather than reality itself.
Baudrillard suggests that the world we live in has been replaced
by a copy world, where we seek simulated stimuli and nothing
more.
“…his postmodern universe is one of hyperreality in which entertainment,information, and communication technologies provide experiences more intense and involving than the scenes of banal everyday life, as well as the codes and models that structure everyday life. The realm of the hyperreal (relates to Jeff Koon's Play-Doh and Balloon Animals)is more real than real, whereby the models, images, and codes of the hyperreal come to control thought and behavior…
From the celebration series...
Play-Doh, 1995-2004, Oil on canvas. 334x282.2cm
A Balloon Dog, 1994-99, high chromium stainless steel with transparent colour coating. 307.3 x 363.2 x 11.3cm
This group of work known as the 'Celebration' series represents individual objects close up. Realized in hyperrealist style, the images linked to childhood seem to invade the viewer's visual space and communicate an engrossing and joyful universe (particularly reflected in the Play-Doh work)
…In other words, an individual in a postmodern world becomes merely an
entity influenced by media, technological experience, and the hyperreal…”
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/baudrillard/
The DISTANCE between LIFE and ART
Koons does not alter the context or modify the image but often allows their transposition into the artistic field to bring out their singularity and paradoxical (self-contradictory eg standing is more tiring than walking) qualities.
Good comparison here would be Warhol - as he does change the context (Marilyn Monroe and Campbell's soup cans)
Koon's work plays on contrast and not just iconographically.
Example his choice in material overturns the rules generally associated with the idea of art. With plastic flowers, kitsch china figurines and gigantic stainless steel toy animals - his work looks like over sized furnishings - seems like he wanted to confuse art with decoration.
Seeks to efface the mental boundaries of art, he also distances himself away from the craftsmanship of the 'meaning' of art by employing numerous assistants and commissioning works from specialized factories.
Good comparison here would be Warhol - as he does change the context (Marilyn Monroe and Campbell's soup cans)
Koon's work plays on contrast and not just iconographically.
Example his choice in material overturns the rules generally associated with the idea of art. With plastic flowers, kitsch china figurines and gigantic stainless steel toy animals - his work looks like over sized furnishings - seems like he wanted to confuse art with decoration.
Seeks to efface the mental boundaries of art, he also distances himself away from the craftsmanship of the 'meaning' of art by employing numerous assistants and commissioning works from specialized factories.
JEFF KOONS SUPERCONTEMPORANEA
Book: Jeffs Koons Supercontemporanea. Edited by Francesso Bonami. Published 2006. Electa:Milan
Jeff Koons draws on the aesthetic (a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste, and with the creation and appreciation of beauty)of everyday objects by revisiting mass-produced consumer goods and toys, food and home appliances in a new version of Pop Art which created a true artistic revolution during the sixties.
In this period artists such as Andy Warhol, James Rosenquist, Robert Raushenberg and Roy Licthtenstein(to became only a few) , fused art and everyday life by using ordinary objects, popular icons and advertisements in their work. Their work embodied a critical attitude towards society being easily swayed by the media.
The period was distinguished by an exaggerated cult of appearances, aggressive media communications and a veracious consumer ethic.
This period also incorporated banality (predictably) and converted the everyday into art, Koon's work immediately appeared closely related to the art of Andy Warhol and this led to its being called "Neo-Pop".
So is this were I can talk about Koon's copying the past ideas and creations within art??
.......
In the eighties however, popular aesthetics immediately had further developments: it was no longer the result of the optimism of the post war period but part of a complex consumer culture driven by the unconscious and people's aspirations. (people's past/and future needs/and what they want to see influencing what they see?)) Koons testifies to a new collective mythology, a fabulous and innocent world driven by nostalgia and desire (Koons interview - his own thoughts support this).
.......
Artist movements of the seventies - this approach draws upon art movements of the seventies, such as Conceptual Art and Minimalism.
Questioning and inspired by cultural and social battles.
though not politicized and always concrete, many of Koon's work makes use of objects and images that embody metaphorical messages (Metaphor is the concept of understanding one thing in terms of another) that allude the art system itself.
Look towards French Artist Marcel Duchamp to compare his urinal and how his art was perceived before Koon's minimalist and very conceptual approach.
While Duchamp and Warhol remove the 'readymadeness' from its context and raises it to a different level, Koons chooses never to dissociate it entirely from the reality of which it is a part.
Jeff Koons draws on the aesthetic (a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste, and with the creation and appreciation of beauty)of everyday objects by revisiting mass-produced consumer goods and toys, food and home appliances in a new version of Pop Art which created a true artistic revolution during the sixties.
In this period artists such as Andy Warhol, James Rosenquist, Robert Raushenberg and Roy Licthtenstein(to became only a few) , fused art and everyday life by using ordinary objects, popular icons and advertisements in their work. Their work embodied a critical attitude towards society being easily swayed by the media.
The period was distinguished by an exaggerated cult of appearances, aggressive media communications and a veracious consumer ethic.
This period also incorporated banality (predictably) and converted the everyday into art, Koon's work immediately appeared closely related to the art of Andy Warhol and this led to its being called "Neo-Pop".
So is this were I can talk about Koon's copying the past ideas and creations within art??
.......
In the eighties however, popular aesthetics immediately had further developments: it was no longer the result of the optimism of the post war period but part of a complex consumer culture driven by the unconscious and people's aspirations. (people's past/and future needs/and what they want to see influencing what they see?)) Koons testifies to a new collective mythology, a fabulous and innocent world driven by nostalgia and desire (Koons interview - his own thoughts support this).
.......
Artist movements of the seventies - this approach draws upon art movements of the seventies, such as Conceptual Art and Minimalism.
Questioning and inspired by cultural and social battles.
though not politicized and always concrete, many of Koon's work makes use of objects and images that embody metaphorical messages (Metaphor is the concept of understanding one thing in terms of another) that allude the art system itself.
Look towards French Artist Marcel Duchamp to compare his urinal and how his art was perceived before Koon's minimalist and very conceptual approach.
While Duchamp and Warhol remove the 'readymadeness' from its context and raises it to a different level, Koons chooses never to dissociate it entirely from the reality of which it is a part.
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