Jeff Koons

Jeff Koons (b. 1955, York, PA) gained international acclaim in the 1980s for his controversial and provocative works that bridge the gap between high art and consumer culture. He is known for his large-scale sculptures that often draw inspiration from popular culture, kitsch, and childhood nostalgia. His works frequently employ a range of materials, including flowers, stainless steel, porcelain, and glass. Koons has played an important role in the rise of postmodernism, emphasizing the acceptance of pop culture within the art world.

Koons has presented solo exhibitions at Whitney Museum of American Art, New York (2014; travelled to Centre Pompidou, Paris and Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Spain); Serpentine Gallery, London (2009); Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago (2008); Château de Versailles, France (2008); Deutsche Guggenheim, Berlin (2000, travelled to The Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh; 25th Sǎo Paulo Biennial, Brazil; and Solomon R. Guggenheim Musuem, New York City); and Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam (1992, travelled to SFMoMA, San Francisco; Aarhus Kunstmuseum, Denmark; Staatsgalerie Stuttgart, Germany; and Walker Art Center, Minneapolis). Notable group exhibition include Appearance Stripped Bare: Desire and the Object in the Work of Marcel Duchamp and Jeff Koons, Even, Museo Jumex, Mexico City (2019); We Are Here, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago (2017); America Is Hard to See, Whitney Musuem of American Art, New York City (2015); A Brief History of the Future, Louvre Museum, Paris (2015); This Will Have Been: Art, Love & Politics in the 1980s, Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston (2012); Postmodernism: Style and Subversion, 1970–1990, Victoria and Albert Museum, London (2011); and Pop Life—Art in a Material World, Tate Modern, London (2009). In addition to his projects with Public Art Fund, Koons has shown his large-scale sculptures in Athens; Bilbao, Spain; Doha, Qatar; New York City; and Paris. His work is held in collections including The Broad, Los Angeles; Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Spain; LACMA, Los Angeles; Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; The Museum of Modern Art, New York City; Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; and Whitney Museum of American Art, New York City. Koons lives and works in New York City.