Jeff Koons

Jeff Koons, the American Painter, Illustrator, and Sculptor, was born on January 21, 1955, in York, Pennsylvania. He is known for his controversial and polarizing artworks that challenge traditional notions of art and consumerism.

In 1977, Jeff Koons relocated to New York City and began working at the Museum of Modern Art while establishing himself as an artist.

In 1979, Jeff Koons created the artwork 'Inflatable Flower and Bunny (Tall White and Pink Bunny)', showcasing his unique style.

Jeff Koons had his first solo exhibition in 1980, marking the beginning of his prolific career as an artist.

In 1983, Jeff Koons created The Equilibrium Series, which featured basketballs floating in distilled water, with the assistance of physicist Richard Feynman. The series included unique sculptures and posters, showcasing Koons' innovative approach to art.

In 1984, Jeff Koons created the artwork 'New Hoover Convertibles'. It is a significant piece in his career.

In 1985, Jeff Koons created the artwork 'Three Ball 50/50 Tank (Two Spalding Dr. J Silver Series, Wilson Supershot)'.

In 1986, Jeff Koons created the iconic 'Rabbit' sculpture by casting a readymade inflatable rabbit in highly polished stainless steel. Originally part of a private collection, it is now owned by the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago.

In 1987, Jeff Koons replaced the figure of the itinerant trader in the statue of Kiepenkerl for the decennial Skulptur Projekte exhibition in Münster, Germany. The statue retained cultural significance as a nostalgic symbol of the past.

In 1988, Jeff Koons started the Banality series, engaging workshops in Germany and Italy to create life-size gold-leaf plated porcelain statues, including Michael Jackson and Bubbles. One of these statues later sold for US$5.6 million.

In 1989, Jeff Koons unveiled 'Made in Heaven', a controversial and provocative artwork that sparked discussions about art and society.

Koons created a 43 ft tall topiary sculpture of a West Highland White Terrier puppy called Puppy. It was made of flowers on a steel substructure and aimed to communicate warmth and love to people. The sculpture was initially exhibited at Arolsen Castle in Germany.

In 1994, Jeff Koons conceived the Celebration series, which includes large-scale sculptures and paintings of balloon dogs, Valentine hearts, diamonds, and Easter eggs.

The Puppy sculpture was dismantled and re-erected at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney Harbour on a more permanent stainless steel armature with an internal irrigation system. The Sydney version of the sculpture had around 60,000 plants.

In 1996, the exhibition of Jeff Koons' Celebration series at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York was canceled due to production delays and cost overruns.

The Puppy sculpture was purchased by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and installed at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. An attempted terrorist attack by ETA members was foiled by a Basque police officer near the sculpture.

In 1998, a miniature version of the Puppy sculpture by Jeff Koons was released as a white glazed porcelain vase in an edition of 3000.

In 1999, Jeff Koons' 1988 Pink Panther sculpture was sold at auction for US$1.8 million.

In 2000, Jeff Koons designed the Split-Rocker, a floral sculpture made of stainless steel, soil, and live flowers. It was first shown at the Palais des Papes in Avignon, France.

Jeff Koons completed the artwork 'Couple (Dots) II' in 2001.

In 2002, Jeff Koons began the Popeye series, featuring sculptures and paintings of the cartoon figures Popeye and Olive Oyl. The series includes a stainless steel reproduction of a mass-market PVC Popeye figurine.

In 2003, Jeff Koons created the artwork 'Couple'.

In 2004, Jeff Koons' work was featured in a retrospective at the Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art in Oslo, which later traveled to the Helsinki City Art Museum.

In 2005, Jeff Koons was honored by being elected as a Fellow to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

In 2006, Jeff Koons presented the Hanging Heart sculpture, a 9-foot-tall highly polished steel heart as part of his Celebration series. The series included five differently colored examples and was exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 2008.

A drawing similar to Jeff Koons' Tulip Balloons was placed on the front page of Google on April 30, 2008, greeting all visitors.

From May 31 to September 21, 2008, a retrospective exhibition of Jeff Koons' works was held at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. The exhibition attracted a record-breaking 86,584 visitors and included various works from the MCA collection as well as recent paintings and sculptures by the artist.

On September 12, 2008, Jeff Koons' exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago was reviewed by Graham Bader.

Split-Rocker exhibition by Jeff Koons was held at Rockefeller Center, New York from June 25 to September 18, 2014.

The Whitney Museum of American Art organized a major exhibition titled Jeff Koons: A Retrospective, which ran from June 27 to October 19, 2014. The exhibition showcased Koons's significant body of work and artistic evolution.

Hulk Elvis exhibition by Jeff Koons took place in Hong Kong from November 6 to December 20, 2014.

Gazing Ball Paintings exhibition by Jeff Koons was held in New York from November 9 to December 23, 2015.

Jeff Koons created the artwork 'Gazing Ball (Titian Pastoral Concert)' in 2016. It is made of oil on canvas, glass, and aluminum.

Jeff Koons exhibition in Beverly Hills was extended through August 18, 2017.

Easyfun-Ethereal exhibition by Jeff Koons took place at 555 West 24th Street, New York from March 10 to April 21, 2018.

Jeff Koons exhibition held at 976 Madison Avenue, New York from May 30 to August 24, 2018.

On April 16, 2019, Jeff Koons was made Honorary Professor of Sculpture at the Fine Arts Academy of Carrara during its 250th-anniversary celebration.

On May 15, 2019, Jeff Koons set a record for the most expensive piece sold by a living artist with the sale of 'Rabbit' at Christie's Auction House for US$80 million, totaling US$91,075,000 including fees.

In June 2022, Dakis Jouannou commissioned Jeff Koons to create the series Apollo for his space at DESTE Foundation for Contemporary Art on the Greek island of Hydra. The series included a sculpture titled Apollo Wind Spinner, a 9.1 meter wide reflective wind spinner above the Slaughterhouse art space.

On November 1, 2023, the sculpture Dugong, created by Jeff Koons, was unveiled along the Corniche in Al Masrah Park, Doha, Qatar. This marked a significant addition to Koons's artistic contributions.

In February 2024, a SpaceX rocket carrying 125 of Koon's stainless steel miniature moon sculptures departed from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The sculptures were part of a larger project involving a lunar lander designed by Intuitive Machines and reached the Moon on February 22.