You don't respect Sol LeWitt, or Michelangelo, or Fellini. or Rothko, or Kubrick, or Raphael, or Fred Sandback, or several thousand others? Sigh. (Do they have to make their own stretchers, canvas, paper, and mix their own paints, too?)
@@higgsmerino3925 Agreed. One can't accept the idea of 'conceptual art' and then moan that the artist wasn't an expert at extruding aluminum. Damien Hirst doesn't catch his own sharks.
@@higgsmerino3925 Pretty sure Raphael didn't convert his apprentices into human printing machines, and didn't just throw random images into photoshop in a messy collage. There's no art in what that people working for koons is doing, no creativity, no intelectual process, they are turned into robots. Hand them a G-code file, it would be easier. There's quite a difference between leading a group of people working together, and just having a factory. Are you really comparing any of the people you mentioned with koons? That's not to mention the questionable artistic value in koons designs or subjects. He likes money, and found a way to keep grabbing some. I hope at least he pays well.
That's exactly what i figured it would be like. Trying to achieve submillimetre perfection on canvas or metal surfaces measuring metres, coordinating with a squadron of other aspiring artists for months and trying not to mess anything up. Especially when deadlines approach. Imagine accidentally falling onto a near-finished canvas..😨
Thanks! I agree - although as I mentioned in the video, I didn't want to go into that too much. It can over-shadow the amazing creative work that actually goes on behind the scenes.
@@alexwilliamyt Granted the old masters had people working in their studios, but the old masters still did part of the actual work, even if it was only on the central figure. I think guys like Koons are great designers, but not sure if I would call what they do being an artist.
It’s easy to be jealous of Koons. I wish it was me too. It must be noted that since the Renaissance many, if not all, major studios have used assistants to realize their artistic vision. Success and fortune are fickle. Koons work is deserving, always was, he’s the lucky one. Well done Jeff.
Basically Jeff does not actually produce the work. He’s a business man, an art banker, with a production factory filled with little art slaves. Thank you for your brilliant videos.
@@JohnJSteinbeck You seem to be contradicting yourself; earlier you said, "Jeff does not actually produce the work" then you wrote, " He basically does create the work."....????
This colour matching/painting process takes every scrap of humanity and energy transference out the work. Ugh. I want to connect with the person who laid down the mark making as it flows from the subconscious to the canvas. That is a soul to soul experience, as art should be in my opinion. I know that these factory style studios were doing this as far back as the 17th century, maybe earlier, but it was the only humanly possible way to complete the commissions by the patrons. These choices Koons is making now as to process seems to be for the perceived value of the near impossible complexity of the task, as if revealing how it is made makes it somehow more unique or impressive as a final work, that he had to oversee this madness and that in itself is supposed to bedazzle, when really it has been stripped of all human expression (again, just my opinion, my taste, my thoughts).
I can understand the sentiment but Rembrandt and Bob Ross have very few similarities other than being known as "painters". Rembrandt's work would take years and years to finish one painting, and he had an army of helpers like Jeff Koons. Definitely go see a Rembrandt if you ever get the chance, its perfectionism but its appreciated perfectionism. And to paint realistically you need that
This was my first art job a week after graduating from art school. I still use some of the color matching techniques I learned in this studio. What an education.
I’m not sure if I like Jeff Koon’s ideas of Art. It’s like a designer of an airplane but a large group of people do the building part. Or a writer has an idea for a story but 12 different people write separate chapters to the book. This video makes me appreciate the late artist Bob Ross.
There's quite a few big historic artists that did that though. They didn't want to have any part of the manufacturing process. Not a very good criticism, the internet just hates this guy for no reason
Sounds like you haven't made much art. There is no creativity or ingenuity in copying an image 1 to 1 onto a canvas. It is technical, repetitive, monotonous labour work. The human ingenuity really only exists at the creation stage of the image. Koons does the creative work himself, and outsources the low skill labour work to others. Very much like an architect designing a house and hiring a builder to make it.
I gained a new found respect for Koons, particularly for the team of artists he assembled. I still believe him to be extremely commercial and somewhat crass but he did redeem himself to a degree now knowing of the process.
Absolutely, would like to see more behind the scenes creativity, particularly painters/artists like Jeff Koons. Yours is one of the best videos of this type. Thank you for all your hard work. Excellent detail!!! Thank-you!!!
There's this guy I watch on UA-cam who can really create realistic images because he graduated from art school, but his work has no substance. It's like watching a small child finger paint, to me. But he has a lot of UA-cam subs which equals success. Too bad someone with less opportunity couldn't take his place at a fancy art school
I taught and worked in the airbrush art areas from color photo retouching ads, B & W ad Retouch work and then mostly as part of my landscape water color works. Mixing so many colors is from the area of ground pigments, not plant die based paints. The airbrush is the art of the dot, building layers of colored dots on top of other colors without disturbing the under colors. In the 60's while attending art school, I worked part time mixing and matching colors for a large industrial paint manufacturer. From that experience I can understand the need for dozens of color mixes for one hand.
The metal casting for balloon dog may have been manufactured in California, but the actual prototype from which the cast was made, was done in the Soho New York studio. Thats Jeff posing on an early version, taken in the NY studio.
The Carlson Crew had been affiliated with Gemini in LA, and the technology needed to produce more than one, was created by Peter and his amazing staff. Casting, fabricating, and perfection in painting is definitely much more difficult than making a prototype.
Really enjoy your videos. It’s hard at times to explain our process as an artist and this is a great way to share a glimpse into what makes us as uniquely us
As impressive as Koons's studio process is, the resulting paintings are inert and vacuous, like the paintings that hang in a hotel lobby or in a generic art gallery at the mall. I was fortunate to see Koons's Stainless Steel Bunny Rabbit when it was fresh and new and it did give me an overt visceral reaction, something tingling and sensational and... something his paintings lack. Unfortunately for the Stainless Bunny Rabbit, they are now covered with micro-scratches that ruin the illusion of a helium balloon. Apparently, there isn't a way to polish out the scratches in the stainless steel. These surface scratches result is a balloon that looks heavy, like steel. Oh well, at least we have the Play-Doh.
this is so distopic. The artist creates the artwork in small scale, and then the multiple craftsman recreate it in a tedious, micro level detail, in a huge canvas, for the Big man to call it theirs… i things this is, at least, a great analogy of the current capitalist society, we done Koons. And btw great videos, im enjoying them a lot
@@conchesodanwell, that´s the typical cliché answer to people who critize contemporary factory artists The truth is most of classic artist didnt use an army of assistants to paint, some they had a few but mainly because you had on those times to manufacture paints, priming canvases, buying stuff, arranging models but most of them except a few they painted all the paintings by themselves. Im artist and for me is a little sad to see a lot of artists becoming more a design studio rather than doing a personal art. I can understand to have assistants to help you with certain things as could be the case of Anselm Kiefer or Chuck Close when he was alive but Marilyn Minter´s case is just a woman saying to other people what to paint.
@ She has a team of painter-workers and in several photos you can see her just directing them… so I guess nowadays surely she doesńt paint or if she does is just a symbolic 5-10% of the total painting work
When Koon's was a painting student at my univeristy, my teachers who where his peers, said he spent most of his time on the one computer available checking stocks.
Francis Bacon's Three Studies of Lucian Freud (1969) sold for $142.4 million in 2013, so old school painter-at-easel still rules. All of this began at the Renaissance with the invention of the portable framed painting (as opposed to Medieval tapestry) but the real driver was the new economy created by the Medici family who revolutionized banking, creating the art world first by creating the economy that created the collectors, the merchant princes. Now it is capitalism. In 2023, the United States added 500,000 new millionaires, more than any other country in the world, bringing the total number of millionaires in the U.S. to 7.43 million, with a combined fortune of $26.1 trillion. There are over 100 BILLIONAIRES in the "communist" Chinese politburo for crying out loud. So it's not just aristocrats doing tours of the Continent collecting art as it was for centuries. The notion of the artist as culture hero was created in the Renaissance as well; before then they were just nameless artisans no more important than plumbers. It really kicked off with Cellini's autobiography documenting his creating his Perseus bronze statue. I'll give you taste of the drama with this excerpt from Camille Paglia's fantastic SEXUAL PERSONAE: "Cellini’s bronze Perseus is forged in a Wagnerian storm of western will. The artist attacks by earth, air, water, and fire. He piles on wood, brick, iron, copper; he digs a pit; he hauls ropes. He shapes his hero out of clay and wax. He exerts superhuman energies, until he is struck down by fever. Cellini takes to bed in ritual couvade, while Perseus strains to be born. The metal curdles and must be resurrected from the dead. Finally, the shouting, cursing artist, transfigured by creative ecstasy, defeats all obstacles and brings Perseus into the world in an explosion, “a tremendous flash of flame” like a thunderbolt. Cellini has made “miracles,” triumphing by a godlike blend of male and female power. Now Perseus is placed in Florence’s public square. At its unveiling, the crowd sends up “a shout of boundless enthusiasm.” Dozens of sonnets are nailed up, panegyrics by university scholars. The Duke sits for hours hidden in a palace window, listening to citizens acclaim the statue. This thrilling episode demonstrates the potential for collectivity at certain privileged moments in history. The Renaissance made public art, uniting the social classes in a common emotion. A figure on a platform; the mingling of nobles, intellectuals, plebeians: one thinks of the broad audience of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. It is impossible to imagine a modern art work provoking a shout from a socially mixed crowd. Our sole equivalent is cinema, as at the Atlanta premiere of Gone with the Wind. Cellini illustrates the national differences in Renaissance form: in Italy, the objet d’art; in England, drama." How is that for high? Not quite the same as Koons' and Murakami's interns working for extra credit, is it?
The strength of Koons art is that such a brilliant commentary on modern culture. Its also quite sarcastic I think and slightly futuristic. I don't think the process matters at all in his work in my opinion, its just about the intended effect of the outcome. The act itself to paint a collage created in tbe computer is a deeply sarcastic comment on the state and importance of painting. It makes the work appear even more artificial instead of just using a digital print, genius in my oinion.
Thanks for watching! If you want to support the production of these videos, liking the video will go a long way! Or, check out my Instagram (link in description) and consider dropping me a follow. I'm aiming to reach 1k followers before the end of the year.
Great vid, just suggest being a little more careful with the script. Noticed in the first 20 you said “at an unprecedented scale and speed, and on a massive scale” which is redundant. Don’t wanna lose people quick with errors like that esp in the first 30 sec
I learned many incredible techniques and a solid work ethic making art for other artists. Getting paid to do it was a bonus. Now I am able to employ other artists and craftspeople to help me make things. They have all the freedom to do their own thing in their time and my studio is always available for them to use. Not everyone has the chops to put themself out there.
The reason Koons places so much emphasis on the conceptual meaning of his artwork is because he barely has a hand in making the art It's a way that he can feel special as the designer while alienating the craftspeople from their output
When DuChamp invented Modern Art, he said that he abandoned the Artists hand for the MIND. At this point the idea became the Art. Since then, relevant Artists have come up with the idea and whether they or someone else produces it doesn't matter. DuChamp, a New York transplant from Europe, invented the concept of the "ready made", a found object that he would recontextualize, creating an Art piece. His "Fountain" sculpture is a found urinal placed s a museum exhibit, recontextualized. Nothing has been the same ever since. Jeff Koons is a stated DuChampian.
I didn't know that DuChamp invented modern art. There is a distinction to be made between 'modern art' and 'contemporary art'. The so called Modern era began with the Impressionists and ended in the 1960's when things like, minimalist art and conceptual art were introduced. That was the start of what is now generally referred to as Contemporary art. Modern art includes van Gogh, Gauguin, Degas, Andrew Wyeth, Edward Hopper etc...art from the beginning of Impressionism up to the '60's when all hell broke loose. I think that good conceptual art does exist. What bothers me is that so much attention and value is given to clearly bogus art and artists. Conceptual art was initially an attack on traditional visual arts calling them worthless, self indulgent decoration. I would like to see Sol LeWitt stand in front of a Paul Cezanne and say that! What also bothers me is how Museums and art publications have relinquished their roles as guardians of quality. You do not see grand exhibitions of the work of Thomas Kinkade at The Metropolitan or at Boston's Museum of Fine Art. And rightly so. But to see The Tate give a build up to Damien Hirst and Jeff Koons is a sign that they would rather exhibit the flashy current craze that they think draws the public and which is, to me, an abdication of their function as custodians of quality.
Cool video; learnt a little bit about someone I didn't really know. Fascinating to see what goes on behind the scenes, more of a factory than a studio, and enough to make me think he's less of an artist and more of an ideas man. Although the art isn't my thing, it's subjective isn't it. Methods and ideas keep shifting around, always new ways of bringing things to fruition. It's an interesting time.
In an economic sense, a work of art is only worth what Simeon is willing to pay for it. Supply and demand. It’s not a con job. He found a niche and people pay to be part of it.
I believe art is an expression of soul and it’s the energy of the process that makes it what it is. In an art class one time, there was a student whose work was an exact copy of the image to the point where it looked like a photoshop filter over a photo. The professor’s advice was actually to not be picture perfect because it’s the strokes and movements that set you apart. Especially in a growing age of digitally rendered artwork
Professors; artists who usually can't make it in the real world. And they need constant young students to keep their jobs. Maybe 15% of all graduates keep making art as adults, as a career?
Even if I could afford it, I don't think I'd buy one of his works--that's just my opinion and taste. Really interesting look at what goes into creating his art, though. Thanks for sharing.
So in the future will his stuff be sold as from the studio of Jeff Koons like renaissance paintings made by others in the old masters studios and so sell for not much money.
Good video. Lots of Artists use assistant help throughout the years like Michelangelo but this is a whole new level. Its almost like it's not even art but some programmed graphic images and sculpture manufactured from a sort of sweat shop like warehouse with a guy who has a vision. But in the case with his grandmother's old sculpture and balloon dogs he's simply pointing a finger at something like a banana and as he's in a position of high "art" status among the art buying and selling industry ( let's call it what it is) then he can go around pointing his finger at crap on a wall and people will bow down and pay millions for his "crap on the wall" masterpiece.
As much as I want to say something regarding how his work feels, it doesn't matter. Money has and always will be a driving force behind what artists can achieve and how successful they are. They have always been entwined in business, and Koons is wildly successful because he is business minded. Art is, for those who are very wealthy, not about the feeling as much as it is about the cost and ability to display that cost in such an opulent way. He wins, and those who have a hand in their own work may sneer at that.
No, he doesn't. I worked for Jeff for over 11 years. I started at $20/hr in 2007. When I was laid off in 2019, I made $30/hr. I briefly worked there again in 2023 while finishing my degree, and again made $30/hr.
I hope these artists are able to take what they learned to go on and make their own work. Collective effort like this is only interesting to me if the members are able to share in the creative endeavor and share in the results equally. If we think this is cool because it's like the workshops of the great masters, then maybe it's time to rethink why we romanticize those old workshops if they were like this.
The process is fascinating. I like Koons a lot. The balloon dogs are great in their complex simplicity And Michael Jackson with his monkey is a masterpiece.
I thoroughly reject everything that Jeff Koons stands for. I do not consider him an artist, but some sort of businessman who hires people to build a variety of commercial products. Rates absolute zero on any hierarchy of artists.
It’s a “brand” more than an art. Understandably he has his critics. But the other side of the coin is that he’s not hiding anything about the process, insofar as he is employing others to make it for the market.
Nice how you presented this without relaying your opinion. In the comment section some are expressing their feelings which in return getting negative feedback. I think it is the difficulty for professional artists of all times. Sure they are jealous, not so much on the work but more on the prices that rich people want to pay. Although I myself are not dependent on making a living out of my paintings, I see the struggle of professional artists. Someone as Jeff Koon know exactly what the very rich want, it needs to be impressive (big, shiny and expensive) and unique (not easily te be replicated). Therefor putting many manhours (from his workers) in his paintings/objects. His clientele want to pay a lot, because they can show off to their peers and think it will appreciate over time. I agree the work put into the paintings is impressive, but it’s not the concept that is unique and really touches. Also I think the balloon dogs are nice and funny, but so is my gold/red waving cat that I bought in a Chinese store. I’m more moved by a painting where the painter was inspired by the beauty he/she finds in life. It’s not being jealous of Jeff Koon, as I don’t see money as relevant. In my opinion art should not be judged on production costs (material or labor) or sales price. But if others have a different opinion, that is also ok. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder 😉
As an advertising art director, I believed that the idea was everything. But the reality is that ideas are cheap; everyone has them. Everyone has an idea for a story they will never write, a picture they will never paint, or an invention they will never produce. I now believe that art is not only in the idea but, most importantly, in the making. The art world that Jeff Koons occupies is a world of commerce. His studio's works are bought by super-rich investors or hedge funds who have no interest beyond the future worth of the pieces.
I'm a welder, and my shop worked on his giant stupid sun sculpture. The man came, twice i think, when we first produced it. One of my coworker broke his shoulders hammering the face and worked countless hours on it, we worked around the clock to make it on time for the show off in Greece and seriously he had very little appreciation for our effort. He pitch the idea and probably had a model of the sun garden decoration, but that's pretty much where it ended. I'm certain any concept for the production of any of his work wasn't made by him whatsoever and thus he can't possibly promote it. I wish he would show more appreciation for the workers who have to dig deep to find ways to make his rubbish a reality. When we started the production for the other suns he finally thank us for our work, but he never really had much impute that was... constructive, it was more of a I like this, I don't like that, on the very last details. His assistant was super nice and he sure made working for Koons more tolerable. Personally, I have no appreciation for his work, I understand that an artist, especially in sculpture, can't always make it all by himself, but when your level of implication is just choosing a rubbish in your house and telling other to break themselves to make it bigger, it ain't art to me. Seriously how impressive it is to see how they make it, it's incredible! (he should stop trying to send rubbish on the moon please!)
Let me begin by telling you that when my brother was just starting school, he rebelled at the rules of spelling. Why did words have to be spelled in a particular way? Why couldn't he spell them as he wanted to spell them? He resented the rules and he resisted the authority of those who made them ! Keep this in mind. I think that Conceptual art originated with people who could not and would not do the difficult work required to become a 'traditional' artist. Can't master the necessary skills ? No knowledge of perspective? Can't draw? Don't want to have to learn color theory? Can't master composition? No knowledge of human anatomy? Can't render tonal values Can’t be bothered ? These are skills that you have to WORK to perfect. It’s difficult. It takes…..effort. But you want a fast track to the exalted position of "artist “. Well then, belittle the importance of those skills and debase the notion that they are a prerequisite to creating art. Instead, create an art genre that you CAN do. A new genre. And let's call it Conceptual art. Conceptual artists claim that IDEAS and CONCEPTS are the main feature of their art. They can slap anything together and call it ''conceptual art'' confident that viewers will find SOMETHING to think about it no matter how banal or trivial the artist's concept! There is no way conceptual art pieces can be judged. The promoters of this art have attacked the motives and credibility of authorities and critics who might disparage the work. They have rejected museums and galleries as defining authorities. They reject the idea that art can be judged or criticized . All of this results in a decline in standards. And when you jettison standards, quality suffers. There really IS such a thing as BAD art ! We know this only because we have standards and criteria by which such things can be evaluated. It seems that conceptual art comes down to a basic idea: No one has the right or authority to make any judgements about art ! Art is anything you can get away with ! A whole new language has been created to give the work an air of legitimacy and gravitas. Conceptual art is 'sold' to the unwary public with ....."ArtSpeak". ArtSpeak is a unique assemblage of English words and phrases that the International Art world uses but which are devoid of meaning! Have you ever found yourself confronted by an art gallery’s description of an exhibition which seems completely indecipherable? Or an artist’s statement about their work which left you more confused than enlightened? You’re not alone. Here are examples of ArtSpeak: 'Works that probe the dialectic between innovations that seem to have been forgotten, the ruinous present state of projects once created amid great euphoria, and the present as an era of transitions and new beginnings.'' Or ''The exhibition reactivates his career-long investigation into the social mutations of desire and repression. But his earlier concerns with repression production--in the adolescent or in the family as a whole--give way to the vertiginous retrieval and wayward reinvention of mythical community and sub-cultural traditions.'' This language is meant to convince me that there is real substance to this drivel which is being passed off as art. I don't buy it. But plenty of other people DO buy it. Not because they love the work. They are laying out enormous sums in the belief that their investment will bring them high returns in the future. One Jeff Koons conceptual piece is three basketballs suspended in a fish tank. commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Three_Ball_Total_Equilibrium_Tank_by_Jeff_Koons,_Tate_Liverpool.jpg Here is Koons' own ArtSpeak explanation of his floating basketball 'concept' verbatim: “ This is an ultimate state of being. I wanted to play with people’s desires. They desire this equilibrium. They desire pre-birth. I was giving a definition of life and death. This is the eternal. This is what life is like, also, after death. Aspects of the eternal” Rather lofty goals for 3 basketballs suspended in a fish tank!! It sold for $350,000. I wonder what it would have fetched without Koons' name attached to it. Or take the case of Martin Creed's ball of crumpled white copy paper. www.abebooks.com/signed/Work-sheet-paper-crumpled-ball-Creed/7404135374/bd He made almost 700 of them! Some sold for hundreds of dollars. Martin Creed, when asked during an interview how he would respond to those who say the crumpled paper ball isn’t art said : “ I wouldn’t call this art either. Who says, anyway, what’s good and what’s bad?” Interviewer: ''When confronted with conceptual art, we shouldn’t worry whether it’s art or not because no one really knows what art is.''6 Is this what art has come to?? _________________________________ Something radical has happened to the art scene in the past 60 years. Cubism slid into non-representational art....what is often called Abstract. Abstract or non-representational art is a legitimate and often profound genre. But to many people, it appeared as if this new style had no structure, principles or standards of evaluation. It’s markings seemed random and arbitrary. Something that anyone could do. Any composition of blotches or scribbles was “Abstract Art”. This was the slippery slope that led to the abandonment of standards in art. Art is what I say it is....and lots of people jumped on the art bandwagon. Anyone can be an artist. Anyone can mount a show. And who is to say if it has value or not ? A tacit agreement has formed among critics, galleries, publications and auction houses to promote and celebrate certain artists and styles. Objects with no artistic merit are touted and praised . Their value increases with every magazine article, every exhibition in a prestigious gallery. And when they come up for auction, sometimes the auction houses will lend vast sums to a bidder so that it appears as if the work of the particular artist is increasing in value. The upward spiral begins and fortunes are made. And many are reluctant to declare that the Emperor is, in fact, naked lest they appear boorish unsophisticated Philistines ! This is what dominates the art market today. The love of money is the root of all evil. It has corrupted politics. It has corrupted sport. It has corrupted healthcare. It has corrupted religion. And now it has corrupted art. But, there is reason to hope. As much of the wisdom of the Greeks and Romans was kept alive through the Middle Ages in small pockets of learning and culture, ateliers have sprung up around the world that are devoted to preserving and handing down the traditional visual arts: drawing, painting and sculpting to each new generation. And when this craze for conceptual art has burned itself out and when visual art is no longer looked on as mere decoration and when schools that have dissolved their art programs want to reestablish them again, the world will find these skills preserved through the atelier movement.
From a purely business point of view he is extremely successful and smart. There is no question about that. However the real question is whether the financial reward of that business should be his or the artists/craftspeople actually making the things. Good ol' capitalism for ya!
Does anyone know if CJ Hendry also use assistants? Don't come for me, I absolutely respect and in AWE of her works and talent...but just, her speed doesn't seem humanely possible. If she doesn't use assistants?? Which I never heard she did, WOW. Just, WOW...she's superhuman.
Koons' art is his process. The skill and mastery of organization he wields is like that of a commander of an army, or like that of James Cameron directing "Titanic". These men/women marshall forces. That's where their artistry resides. Not easy to do. And woefully underappreciated. Bravo Koons 👏🏾
It's kind of depressing to know that one of the most successful artists in the world, doesn't actually create art himself. We are assuming that he comes up with the initial concept, but who is to say that that's not done by committee as well? The slight alteration of the original masterworks seems like a distasteful money grab as well.
Don't kid yourselves for one second that super rich people who buy this and other modern art do it because they like it or think it is good, their motives are related to finance, tax evasion, money laundering and so on. Modern art that pretends it is about something intangible or difficult to describe is perfect for this function and unlike say a 17thC old master can be produced in whatever quantity the market needs.
What is that even supposed to mean? Are you familiar with Soviet and Chinese art movements? There's some good stuff, like I am a big fan of the director Tarkovsky, but it's pretty awful too no? The most famous contemporary Chinese artist, Ai Weiwei, is wanted by his country's government
@@jeffm3283 It means it's all about the money. It's also called an opinion. My opinion. And you then go any use the word 'good stuff' to describe art movements. Good for you and your opinion. FFS...
@@ZER0-- "this is capitalist art" is a terrible comment there's no need to get mad. It's always been about the money. Since before Capitalism was a thing
@@jeffm3283 Sorry for the 'ffs'. I think I'd had a few. I just think that it is totally about the money with Koons.But as I said each to their own. Peace and love, to make up for the 'ffs'. Take care.
This may explain why jeff koons faked classical paintings feel dead in person… i saw a show of the classical paintings at gagosian with the blue spheres… i got no feeling from any of them
Yea i'll be honest those pieces did nothing for me either. Strange project to be honest. However, the skill, patience and effort they took to produce is amazing. Hopefully that came across in my video.
Well... I guess if you just want to paint. Join Jeff´s attelier... What I see in another way is that he works just like all the grand masters of the renaissance... yet people do overlook this fact. For me, as a more expressionistic type of artist, I cannot relate to this ultra-methodic process... Not my taste, not the outcomes I enjoy. Plus I do value the charm on single artists doing their best in many aspects.
I desagree with you in that the Great Masters of the Renaissance or Baroque had sometime lots of aprentices; but the Masters knew their work and could perfectly draw, paint or sculpt by themselvels.
call it BS if you want, but to me its just something different altogether. IMO, its kinda like a MIchelin star restaurant -- using an entire team of people focused on miniscule tasks to really push the boundaries of what is possible. and that is awesome! but probably not the place to go if you are hungry and want a perfectly cooked steak
I respect artists who make all of their work by themselves
You don't respect Sol LeWitt, or Michelangelo, or Fellini. or Rothko, or Kubrick, or Raphael, or Fred Sandback, or several thousand others? Sigh. (Do they have to make their own stretchers, canvas, paper, and mix their own paints, too?)
@@higgsmerino3925 yes.
....eh bullshoot!
@@higgsmerino3925 Agreed. One can't accept the idea of 'conceptual art' and then moan that the artist wasn't an expert at extruding aluminum. Damien Hirst doesn't catch his own sharks.
@@higgsmerino3925 Pretty sure Raphael didn't convert his apprentices into human printing machines, and didn't just throw random images into photoshop in a messy collage. There's no art in what that people working for koons is doing, no creativity, no intelectual process, they are turned into robots. Hand them a G-code file, it would be easier.
There's quite a difference between leading a group of people working together, and just having a factory. Are you really comparing any of the people you mentioned with koons?
That's not to mention the questionable artistic value in koons designs or subjects. He likes money, and found a way to keep grabbing some. I hope at least he pays well.
I worked for Koons for almost a decade. It became one of the most neurotic working environments I have ever experienced.
Please explain. I would love to hear it. Thankyou
Yes, spill the beans.
What kept you there for that long?
Well, do go on.... 🫖☕️
That's exactly what i figured it would be like. Trying to achieve submillimetre perfection on canvas or metal surfaces measuring metres, coordinating with a squadron of other aspiring artists for months and trying not to mess anything up. Especially when deadlines approach. Imagine accidentally falling onto a near-finished canvas..😨
Enjoy your videos, but Koons is a prime example of the NY Art Market Con Job
Thanks! I agree - although as I mentioned in the video, I didn't want to go into that too much. It can over-shadow the amazing creative work that actually goes on behind the scenes.
@@alexwilliamyt Granted the old masters had people working in their studios, but the old masters still did part of the actual work, even if it was only on the central figure. I think guys like Koons are great designers, but not sure if I would call what they do being an artist.
@@douglasriddle6447 the role of the artist changes in tandem with technology
It’s easy to be jealous of Koons. I wish it was me too. It must be noted that since the Renaissance many, if not all, major studios have used assistants to realize their artistic vision. Success and fortune are fickle. Koons work is deserving, always was, he’s the lucky one. Well done Jeff.
@@robertpepper5256 Koons produces kitsch, which again is part of the "Art Market Con Job. The fact that he has a staff is not the issue.
Basically Jeff does not actually produce the work. He’s a business man, an art banker, with a production factory filled with little art slaves.
Thank you for your brilliant videos.
💯
...Jeff likes money....just...shocking...I'm shocked. $91M.....I'm sure some money laundering type thing is going on here.
For us non Brits, can you explain, "does bugger all"?
@@leonardodalongisland He basically does create the work, there is DEFINITELY no pride in this.
@@JohnJSteinbeck You seem to be contradicting yourself; earlier you said, "Jeff does not actually produce the work" then you wrote, " He basically does create the work."....????
This colour matching/painting process takes every scrap of humanity and energy transference out the work. Ugh. I want to connect with the person who laid down the mark making as it flows from the subconscious to the canvas. That is a soul to soul experience, as art should be in my opinion. I know that these factory style studios were doing this as far back as the 17th century, maybe earlier, but it was the only humanly possible way to complete the commissions by the patrons. These choices Koons is making now as to process seems to be for the perceived value of the near impossible complexity of the task, as if revealing how it is made makes it somehow more unique or impressive as a final work, that he had to oversee this madness and that in itself is supposed to bedazzle, when really it has been stripped of all human expression (again, just my opinion, my taste, my thoughts).
Yes back in 15th century Italy artists studios
I can understand the sentiment but Rembrandt and Bob Ross have very few similarities other than being known as "painters". Rembrandt's work would take years and years to finish one painting, and he had an army of helpers like Jeff Koons. Definitely go see a Rembrandt if you ever get the chance, its perfectionism but its appreciated perfectionism. And to paint realistically you need that
Might as well do them digitally.
Plastic art for plastic people.
Im sayin
This was my first art job a week after graduating from art school. I still use some of the color matching techniques I learned in this studio. What an education.
Awesome!
@@alexwilliamytI was honored to have had the pleasure to work & live on Rosenquest Stuido in FL
Cool. I worked with Leroy Neiman in the '80s. People make fun of his style, his commercialization, but he was very good technically, and a nice guy.
What job did you move on too?
That's cool
Like the old Apprentice system in Italy
People who call out people on their BS are now called "haters"...
... or trolls.
I hate jeff koons . Hater here !
So true! This world has flipped upside down and is officially crazy 🤪!
I’m not sure if I like Jeff Koon’s ideas of Art. It’s like a designer of an airplane but a large group of people do the building part. Or a writer has an idea for a story but 12 different people write separate chapters to the book. This video makes me appreciate the late artist Bob Ross.
Ditto 😂
There's quite a few big historic artists that did that though. They didn't want to have any part of the manufacturing process. Not a very good criticism, the internet just hates this guy for no reason
@@jeffm3283 But they think Ross is the real artist. Oh, mercy.
Art shouldn't be sweatshop, it used to be an appreciation to human ingenuity and cognitive aptitude
Sounds like you haven't made much art. There is no creativity or ingenuity in copying an image 1 to 1 onto a canvas. It is technical, repetitive, monotonous labour work. The human ingenuity really only exists at the creation stage of the image.
Koons does the creative work himself, and outsources the low skill labour work to others. Very much like an architect designing a house and hiring a builder to make it.
Even in the Renaissance the more famous artists left a lot of the work to their appearances and only did the finer details…
Prior to this I had no idea of just how much effort went into one of Jeff Koons' pieces.
😂
I gained a new found respect for Koons, particularly for the team of artists he assembled. I still believe him to be extremely commercial and somewhat crass but he did redeem himself to a degree now knowing of the process.
from him, it's zero effort, and far less impressive once knowing the truth
Yes. Mindless effort made by little slaves. Anyone but the "artist" himself.
We can see why he is the most smiling artist in the Art World.
As an artist, I really enjoyed your video with in depth details of Jeff Koons manufacturing process.
Absolutely, would like to see more behind the scenes creativity, particularly painters/artists like Jeff Koons. Yours is one of the best videos of this type. Thank you for all your hard work. Excellent detail!!! Thank-you!!!
Thank you! More to come!
Some "Artists" are just brands nowadays
There's this guy I watch on UA-cam who can really create realistic images because he graduated from art school, but his work has no substance. It's like watching a small child finger paint, to me. But he has a lot of UA-cam subs which equals success. Too bad someone with less opportunity couldn't take his place at a fancy art school
Same with artist such as Titian.
And Raphael was not a brand to the De Medici's! C'mon. Leonardo sold his brand.
Thank you for walking through these steps, gives a wonderful insight into the insane techniques behind these pieces!
Always a fascinating view. Thanks!
He’s a force of nature, thank you for the video,
I taught and worked in the airbrush art areas from color photo retouching ads, B & W ad Retouch work and then mostly as part of my landscape water color works. Mixing so many colors is from the area of ground pigments, not plant die based paints.
The airbrush is the art of the dot, building layers of colored dots on top of other colors without disturbing the under colors.
In the 60's while attending art school, I worked part time mixing and matching colors for a large industrial paint manufacturer. From that experience I can understand the need for dozens of color mixes for one hand.
Complete the circle Koons- claim your business a cooperative and divided the wealth and value (you extract). He’s an extractionist.
Yes
The metal casting for balloon dog may have been manufactured in California, but the actual prototype from which the cast was made, was done in the Soho New York studio. Thats Jeff posing on an early version, taken in the NY studio.
Interesting, thanks for the info!
The Carlson Crew had been affiliated with Gemini in LA, and the technology needed to produce more than one, was created by Peter and his amazing staff. Casting, fabricating, and perfection in painting is definitely much more difficult than making a prototype.
Really enjoy your videos. It’s hard at times to explain our process as an artist and this is a great way to share a glimpse into what makes us as uniquely us
Brilliant, thank you!
As impressive as Koons's studio process is, the resulting paintings are inert and vacuous, like the paintings that hang in a hotel lobby or in a generic art gallery at the mall. I was fortunate to see Koons's Stainless Steel Bunny Rabbit when it was fresh and new and it did give me an overt visceral reaction, something tingling and sensational and... something his paintings lack. Unfortunately for the Stainless Bunny Rabbit, they are now covered with micro-scratches that ruin the illusion of a helium balloon. Apparently, there isn't a way to polish out the scratches in the stainless steel. These surface scratches result is a balloon that looks heavy, like steel. Oh well, at least we have the Play-Doh.
Is this art or business!!! An artist should paint by himself!!
Art history is rife with artists who've used assistants. For instance, Peter Paul Rubens. The myth of the genius loner was perpetuated by Van Gogh.
Most of Renaissance most famous works are commissioned tho. Are Mona Lisa not art because it was commissioned by someone
You have no idea
Throught history artist have used assistants in workshops. Nothing new.
Nothing new using teams of workers, but those that did it are respected less for it, including the workshop pieces of Rubens.
this is so distopic. The artist creates the artwork in small scale, and then the multiple craftsman recreate it in a tedious, micro level detail, in a huge canvas, for the Big man to call it theirs… i things this is, at least, a great analogy of the current capitalist society, we done Koons.
And btw great videos, im enjoying them a lot
well... I guess you don´t like Renaissance master´s either based on what you said here.
@@conchesodanwell, that´s the typical cliché answer to people who critize contemporary factory artists The truth is most of classic artist didnt use an army of assistants to paint, some they had a few but mainly because you had on those times to manufacture paints, priming canvases, buying stuff, arranging models but most of them except a few they painted all the paintings by themselves. Im artist and for me is a little sad to see a lot of artists becoming more a design studio rather than doing a personal art. I can understand to have assistants to help you with certain things as could be the case of Anselm Kiefer or Chuck Close when he was alive but Marilyn Minter´s case is just a woman saying to other people what to paint.
Yeah its more about creating a personality as an artist and knowing rich people. And money laundering
@@yisusferro603 Marilyn Minter doesn’t paint anymore?
@ She has a team of painter-workers and in several photos you can see her just directing them… so I guess nowadays surely she doesńt paint or if she does is just a symbolic 5-10% of the total painting work
This is a really interesting topic and a very good video!
Thanks!
I love these videos so much, these deep dives make me think how the act of creating can be so involved an thought out! Thank you for making this!
Thanks for the support! :)
It’s incredible that there’s people that thinks that this is art, or that Koons is the artist.
pot calling the kettle black. the art understander is telling us what art is everyone listen
@@jeffm3283
I am listening. And I agree.
@@renzo6490 the Michael Jackson statue is what cemented him as an artist to me, and his purposely gauche statues etc
Koons is the Margaret Keane of our age.
Those vids are 🔥🔥🔥🔥
When Koon's was a painting student at my univeristy, my teachers who where his peers, said he spent most of his time on the one computer available checking stocks.
Wise guy he was.
Francis Bacon's Three Studies of Lucian Freud (1969) sold for $142.4 million in 2013, so old school painter-at-easel still rules. All of this began at the Renaissance with the invention of the portable framed painting (as opposed to Medieval tapestry) but the real driver was the new economy created by the Medici family who revolutionized banking, creating the art world first by creating the economy that created the collectors, the merchant princes. Now it is capitalism. In 2023, the United States added 500,000 new millionaires, more than any other country in the world, bringing the total number of millionaires in the U.S. to 7.43 million, with a combined fortune of $26.1 trillion. There are over 100 BILLIONAIRES in the "communist" Chinese politburo for crying out loud. So it's not just aristocrats doing tours of the Continent collecting art as it was for centuries. The notion of the artist as culture hero was created in the Renaissance as well; before then they were just nameless artisans no more important than plumbers. It really kicked off with Cellini's autobiography documenting his creating his Perseus bronze statue. I'll give you taste of the drama with this excerpt from Camille Paglia's fantastic SEXUAL PERSONAE:
"Cellini’s bronze Perseus is forged in a Wagnerian storm of western will. The artist attacks by earth, air, water, and fire. He
piles on wood, brick, iron, copper; he digs a pit; he hauls ropes. He shapes his hero out of clay and wax. He exerts superhuman energies, until he is struck down by fever. Cellini takes to bed in ritual couvade, while Perseus strains to be born. The metal curdles and must be resurrected from the dead. Finally, the shouting, cursing artist, transfigured by creative ecstasy, defeats
all obstacles and brings Perseus into the world in an explosion, “a tremendous flash of flame” like a thunderbolt. Cellini has made “miracles,” triumphing by a godlike blend of male and female power.
Now Perseus is placed in Florence’s public square. At its unveiling, the crowd sends up “a shout of boundless enthusiasm.” Dozens of sonnets are nailed up, panegyrics by university scholars. The Duke sits for hours hidden in a palace window, listening to citizens acclaim the statue. This thrilling episode demonstrates the potential for collectivity at certain privileged moments in history. The Renaissance made public art, uniting the social classes in a common emotion. A figure on a platform; the mingling of nobles, intellectuals, plebeians: one thinks of the broad audience of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. It is impossible to imagine a modern art work provoking a shout from a socially mixed crowd. Our sole equivalent is
cinema, as at the Atlanta premiere of Gone with the Wind. Cellini illustrates the national differences in Renaissance form: in Italy, the objet d’art; in England, drama."
How is that for high? Not quite the same as Koons' and Murakami's interns working for extra credit, is it?
Jeffrey would've made it as an agency Creative Director, easily. Being good at that is a talent in and of itself. The suit helps too.
The strength of Koons art is that such a brilliant commentary on modern culture. Its also quite sarcastic I think and slightly futuristic. I don't think the process matters at all in his work in my opinion, its just about the intended effect of the outcome. The act itself to paint a collage created in tbe computer is a deeply sarcastic comment on the state and importance of painting. It makes the work appear even more artificial instead of just using a digital print, genius in my oinion.
the intended outcome is for eedjits to throw money at him. That's it.
Thanks for watching! If you want to support the production of these videos, liking the video will go a long way!
Or, check out my Instagram (link in description) and consider dropping me a follow. I'm aiming to reach 1k followers before the end of the year.
Great vid, just suggest being a little more careful with the script. Noticed in the first 20 you said “at an unprecedented scale and speed, and on a massive scale” which is redundant. Don’t wanna lose people quick with errors like that esp in the first 30 sec
I learned many incredible techniques and a solid work ethic making art for other artists. Getting paid to do it was a bonus. Now I am able to employ other artists and craftspeople to help me make things. They have all the freedom to do their own thing in their time and my studio is always available for them to use. Not everyone has the chops to put themself out there.
The reason Koons places so much emphasis on the conceptual meaning of his artwork is because he barely has a hand in making the art
It's a way that he can feel special as the designer while alienating the craftspeople from their output
'The balloon dog symbolises human breath and Life and Death'
Yeah right!😅
When DuChamp invented Modern Art, he said that he abandoned the Artists hand for the MIND. At this point the idea became the Art. Since then, relevant Artists have come up with the idea and whether they or someone else produces it doesn't matter. DuChamp, a New York transplant from Europe, invented the concept of the "ready made", a found object that he would recontextualize, creating an Art piece. His "Fountain" sculpture is a found urinal placed s a museum exhibit, recontextualized. Nothing has been the same ever since. Jeff Koons is a stated DuChampian.
I didn't know that DuChamp invented modern art.
There is a distinction to be made between 'modern art' and 'contemporary art'.
The so called Modern era began with the Impressionists and ended in the 1960's when things like, minimalist art and conceptual art were introduced.
That was the start of what is now generally referred to as Contemporary art.
Modern art includes van Gogh, Gauguin, Degas, Andrew Wyeth, Edward Hopper etc...art from the beginning of Impressionism up to the '60's when all hell broke loose.
I think that good conceptual art does exist.
What bothers me is that so much attention and value is given to clearly bogus art and artists.
Conceptual art was initially an attack on traditional visual arts calling them worthless, self indulgent decoration.
I would like to see Sol LeWitt stand in front of a Paul Cezanne and say that!
What also bothers me is how Museums and art publications have relinquished their roles as guardians of quality.
You do not see grand exhibitions of the work of Thomas Kinkade at The Metropolitan or at Boston's Museum of Fine Art.
And rightly so.
But to see The Tate give a build up to Damien Hirst and Jeff Koons is a sign that they would rather exhibit the flashy current craze that they think draws the public and which is, to me, an abdication of their function as custodians of quality.
I find your observations fascinating. Where might I subscribe to your newsletter?
Would love to see you do a video on Olafur Eliasson and his team - super interesting process
I'm not familiar with Olafur - thanks for the suggestion! Added to my list of potential future videos :)
Cool video; learnt a little bit about someone I didn't really know. Fascinating to see what goes on behind the scenes, more of a factory than a studio, and enough to make me think he's less of an artist and more of an ideas man.
Although the art isn't my thing, it's subjective isn't it. Methods and ideas keep shifting around, always new ways of bringing things to fruition. It's an interesting time.
In an economic sense, a work of art is only worth what Simeon is willing to pay for it. Supply and demand. It’s not a con job. He found a niche and people pay to be part of it.
Loved it - thanks. :)
Thanks for watching! :)
Great video 👏
I believe art is an expression of soul and it’s the energy of the process that makes it what it is. In an art class one time, there was a student whose work was an exact copy of the image to the point where it looked like a photoshop filter over a photo. The professor’s advice was actually to not be picture perfect because it’s the strokes and movements that set you apart. Especially in a growing age of digitally rendered artwork
I guess for me the point of art is not perfection
Professors; artists who usually can't make it in the real world. And they need constant young students to keep their jobs. Maybe 15% of all graduates keep making art as adults, as a career?
Your videos are real eye-opener
Why the low number? To keep the prices higher.
First time viewer here. Just had to stop mysef at 2:26 and see if you've made a video yet on Beeple and his studio work.
I have not. I'm not too familiar with him but i'll check him out!
The artist of the minute Kehinde Wiley has a studio in China wear workers paint his works.
Wonder if it’s a union shop?
Even if I could afford it, I don't think I'd buy one of his works--that's just my opinion and taste. Really interesting look at what goes into creating his art, though. Thanks for sharing.
What is the source of the printed pages you are showing / quoting?
At which timestamp specifically?
Interesting thx
So in the future will his stuff be sold as from the studio of Jeff Koons like renaissance paintings made by others in the old masters studios and so sell for not much money.
Good video. Lots of Artists use assistant help throughout the years like Michelangelo but this is a whole new level. Its almost like it's not even art but some programmed graphic images and sculpture manufactured from a sort of sweat shop like warehouse with a guy who has a vision. But in the case with his grandmother's old sculpture and balloon dogs he's simply pointing a finger at something like a banana and as he's in a position of high "art" status among the art buying and selling industry ( let's call it what it is) then he can go around pointing his finger at crap on a wall and people will bow down and pay millions for his "crap on the wall" masterpiece.
As much as I want to say something regarding how his work feels, it doesn't matter. Money has and always will be a driving force behind what artists can achieve and how successful they are. They have always been entwined in business, and Koons is wildly successful because he is business minded. Art is, for those who are very wealthy, not about the feeling as much as it is about the cost and ability to display that cost in such an opulent way.
He wins, and those who have a hand in their own work may sneer at that.
As a muralist and oil painter who creates rather intuitively, their painting process sounds torturous
He pays them $14 an hour. Terrible.
This is just an extension of Mr. brainwash, fake art😂
No, he doesn't. I worked for Jeff for over 11 years. I started at $20/hr in 2007. When I was laid off in 2019, I made $30/hr. I briefly worked there again in 2023 while finishing my degree, and again made $30/hr.
@@KEP1983 and, interestingly, he’s not hiding the process of producing the product/art. There’s a market for it, and he’s got buyers who want it.
My son a media artist says he’s a jerk
@@KEP1983goody for you
Koons is one of the gravediggers of art - catch him!
I am missing the point of how they get the outline of the image on the canvas. Are they projecting it?
Their methods varied, but a lot of the time it was with a special paper called graphite transfer paper.
I hope these artists are able to take what they learned to go on and make their own work. Collective effort like this is only interesting to me if the members are able to share in the creative endeavor and share in the results equally. If we think this is cool because it's like the workshops of the great masters, then maybe it's time to rethink why we romanticize those old workshops if they were like this.
"highlighting the inhale and exhale of human breath as a symbol for life and death"
No. He just made a cool dog
Damien Hirst is another artist who gets others to make his art.
I would say a business man, one in the leauge your in. Yet his ideas are good.
More of a businessman than an artist.
If you didn’t make it you are not the artist.
The process is fascinating. I like Koons a lot. The balloon dogs are great in their complex simplicity And Michael Jackson with his monkey is a masterpiece.
And youre stupid
The fine art market is a sickness, not a celebration of art.
This is awesome!
Can deone explain how this is art, I struggle
This "art" just got famous in one of the right cities.The level of fame is the only reason it's worth so much money to investors
So why does Jeff get all the credit when a team built the artwork?
Same with such artists as Ruben's and Titian.
@@gavinreid2741 And Raphael, Warhol, Michelangelo, Rodin, and a few thousand more.
I thoroughly reject everything that Jeff Koons stands for. I do not consider him an artist, but some sort of businessman who hires people to build a variety of commercial products. Rates absolute zero on any hierarchy of artists.
It’s a “brand” more than an art. Understandably he has his critics. But the other side of the coin is that he’s not hiding anything about the process, insofar as he is employing others to make it for the market.
Nice how you presented this without relaying your opinion. In the comment section some are expressing their feelings which in return getting negative feedback. I think it is the difficulty for professional artists of all times. Sure they are jealous, not so much on the work but more on the prices that rich people want to pay. Although I myself are not dependent on making a living out of my paintings, I see the struggle of professional artists. Someone as Jeff Koon know exactly what the very rich want, it needs to be impressive (big, shiny and expensive) and unique (not easily te be replicated). Therefor putting many manhours (from his workers) in his paintings/objects. His clientele want to pay a lot, because they can show off to their peers and think it will appreciate over time. I agree the work put into the paintings is impressive, but it’s not the concept that is unique and really touches. Also I think the balloon dogs are nice and funny, but so is my gold/red waving cat that I bought in a Chinese store. I’m more moved by a painting where the painter was inspired by the beauty he/she finds in life.
It’s not being jealous of Jeff Koon, as I don’t see money as relevant. In my opinion art should not be judged on production costs (material or labor) or sales price. But if others have a different opinion, that is also ok. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder 😉
It's Paint by Numbers...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As an advertising art director, I believed that the idea was everything. But the reality is that ideas are cheap; everyone has them. Everyone has an idea for a story they will never write, a picture they will never paint, or an invention they will never produce. I now believe that art is not only in the idea but, most importantly, in the making. The art world that Jeff Koons occupies is a world of commerce. His studio's works are bought by super-rich investors or hedge funds who have no interest beyond the future worth of the pieces.
I'm a welder, and my shop worked on his giant stupid sun sculpture. The man came, twice i think, when we first produced it. One of my coworker broke his shoulders hammering the face and worked countless hours on it, we worked around the clock to make it on time for the show off in Greece and seriously he had very little appreciation for our effort. He pitch the idea and probably had a model of the sun garden decoration, but that's pretty much where it ended. I'm certain any concept for the production of any of his work wasn't made by him whatsoever and thus he can't possibly promote it. I wish he would show more appreciation for the workers who have to dig deep to find ways to make his rubbish a reality. When we started the production for the other suns he finally thank us for our work, but he never really had much impute that was... constructive, it was more of a I like this, I don't like that, on the very last details. His assistant was super nice and he sure made working for Koons more tolerable. Personally, I have no appreciation for his work, I understand that an artist, especially in sculpture, can't always make it all by himself, but when your level of implication is just choosing a rubbish in your house and telling other to break themselves to make it bigger, it ain't art to me. Seriously how impressive it is to see how they make it, it's incredible! (he should stop trying to send rubbish on the moon please!)
Jeff Koons is a brand and an art producer, but is he an artist?
I'm curious what these artists make...
Let me begin by telling you that when my brother was just starting school, he rebelled at the rules of spelling.
Why did words have to be spelled in a particular way?
Why couldn't he spell them as he wanted to spell them?
He resented the rules and he resisted the authority of those who made them !
Keep this in mind.
I think that Conceptual art originated with people who could not and would not do the difficult work required to become a 'traditional' artist.
Can't master the necessary skills ?
No knowledge of perspective?
Can't draw?
Don't want to have to learn color theory?
Can't master composition?
No knowledge of human anatomy?
Can't render tonal values
Can’t be bothered ?
These are skills that you have to WORK to perfect.
It’s difficult.
It takes…..effort.
But you want a fast track to the exalted position of "artist “.
Well then, belittle the importance of those skills and debase the notion that they are a prerequisite to creating art.
Instead, create an art genre that you CAN do.
A new genre.
And let's call it Conceptual art.
Conceptual artists claim that IDEAS and CONCEPTS are the main feature of their art.
They can slap anything together and call it ''conceptual art'' confident that viewers will find SOMETHING to think about it no matter how banal or trivial the artist's concept!
There is no way conceptual art pieces can be judged.
The promoters of this art have attacked the motives and credibility of authorities and critics who might disparage the work.
They have rejected museums and galleries as defining authorities.
They reject the idea that art can be judged or criticized .
All of this results in a decline in standards.
And when you jettison standards, quality suffers.
There really IS such a thing as BAD art !
We know this only because we have standards and criteria by which such things can be evaluated.
It seems that conceptual art comes down to a basic idea:
No one has the right or authority to make any judgements about art !
Art is anything you can get away with !
A whole new language has been created to give the work an air of legitimacy and gravitas.
Conceptual art is 'sold' to the unwary public with ....."ArtSpeak".
ArtSpeak is a unique assemblage of English words and phrases that the International Art world uses but which are devoid of meaning!
Have you ever found yourself confronted by an art gallery’s description of an exhibition which seems completely indecipherable?
Or an artist’s statement about their work which left you more confused than enlightened?
You’re not alone.
Here are examples of ArtSpeak:
'Works that probe the dialectic between innovations that seem to have been forgotten, the ruinous present state of projects once created amid great euphoria, and the present as an era of transitions and new beginnings.''
Or
''The exhibition reactivates his career-long investigation into the social mutations of desire and repression. But his earlier concerns with repression production--in the adolescent or in the family as a whole--give way to the vertiginous retrieval and wayward reinvention of mythical community and sub-cultural traditions.''
This language is meant to convince me that there is real substance to this drivel which is being passed off as art.
I don't buy it.
But plenty of other people DO buy it.
Not because they love the work.
They are laying out enormous sums in the belief that their investment will bring them high returns in the future.
One Jeff Koons conceptual piece is three basketballs suspended in a fish tank.
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Three_Ball_Total_Equilibrium_Tank_by_Jeff_Koons,_Tate_Liverpool.jpg
Here is Koons' own ArtSpeak explanation of his floating basketball 'concept' verbatim:
“ This is an ultimate state of being.
I wanted to play with people’s desires.
They desire this equilibrium.
They desire pre-birth.
I was giving a definition of life and death.
This is the eternal.
This is what life is like, also, after death.
Aspects of the eternal”
Rather lofty goals for 3 basketballs suspended in a fish tank!!
It sold for $350,000.
I wonder what it would have fetched without Koons' name attached to it.
Or take the case of Martin Creed's ball of crumpled white copy paper.
www.abebooks.com/signed/Work-sheet-paper-crumpled-ball-Creed/7404135374/bd
He made almost 700 of them!
Some sold for hundreds of dollars.
Martin Creed, when asked during an interview how he would respond to those who say the crumpled paper ball isn’t art said :
“ I wouldn’t call this art either. Who says, anyway, what’s good and what’s bad?”
Interviewer:
''When confronted with conceptual art, we shouldn’t worry whether it’s art or not because no one really knows what art is.''6
Is this what art has come to??
_________________________________
Something radical has happened to the art scene in the past 60 years.
Cubism slid into non-representational art....what is often called Abstract.
Abstract or non-representational art is a legitimate and often profound genre.
But to many people, it appeared as if this new style had no structure, principles or standards of evaluation.
It’s markings seemed random and arbitrary.
Something that anyone could do.
Any composition of blotches or scribbles was “Abstract Art”.
This was the slippery slope that led to the abandonment of standards in art.
Art is what I say it is....and lots of people jumped on the art bandwagon.
Anyone can be an artist.
Anyone can mount a show.
And who is to say if it has value or not ?
A tacit agreement has formed among critics, galleries, publications and auction houses to promote and celebrate certain artists and styles.
Objects with no artistic merit are touted and praised .
Their value increases with every magazine article, every exhibition in a prestigious gallery.
And when they come up for auction, sometimes the auction houses will lend vast sums to a bidder so that it appears as if the work of the particular artist is increasing in value.
The upward spiral begins and fortunes are made.
And many are reluctant to declare that the Emperor is, in fact, naked lest they appear boorish unsophisticated Philistines !
This is what dominates the art market today.
The love of money is the root of all evil.
It has corrupted politics.
It has corrupted sport.
It has corrupted healthcare.
It has corrupted religion.
And now it has corrupted art.
But, there is reason to hope.
As much of the wisdom of the Greeks and Romans was kept alive through the Middle Ages in small pockets of learning and culture, ateliers have sprung up around the world that are devoted to preserving and handing down the traditional visual arts: drawing, painting and sculpting to each new generation.
And when this craze for conceptual art has burned itself out and when visual art is no longer looked on as mere decoration and when schools that have dissolved their art programs want to reestablish them again, the world will find these skills preserved through the atelier movement.
I Lather On The Pure Undiluted Oils Onto My Canvases . ❤🎉
his studio is awesome!
I have a new appreciation of Koons. It’s smart business.
From a purely business point of view he is extremely successful and smart. There is no question about that. However the real question is whether the financial reward of that business should be his or the artists/craftspeople actually making the things. Good ol' capitalism for ya!
interesting
I would be surprendre if he even makes the photoshops of the "original" pieces
Does anyone know if CJ Hendry also use assistants? Don't come for me, I absolutely respect and in AWE of her works and talent...but just, her speed doesn't seem humanely possible. If she doesn't use assistants?? Which I never heard she did, WOW. Just, WOW...she's superhuman.
I don't think she does, no. Her studio is pretty cool, I might feature it in a future video :)
Koons' art is his process. The skill and mastery of organization he wields is like that of a commander of an army, or like that of James Cameron directing "Titanic". These men/women marshall forces. That's where their artistry resides. Not easy to do. And woefully underappreciated. Bravo Koons 👏🏾
Hope those artists doing all the work and getting no credit are at least getting paid well.
THIS IS REPLICA
of China's Artist Village.
almost to perfection.
It's kind of depressing to know that one of the most successful artists in the world, doesn't actually create art himself. We are assuming that he comes up with the initial concept, but who is to say that that's not done by committee as well? The slight alteration of the original masterworks seems like a distasteful money grab as well.
1:50 what about Basquiat skull ?
He's quoting the highest prices at auction for artworks by a "living artist."
I believe it was buried with him...
Ex wall street worker = now "Artist"...
I thought he was a streetwear guy😂not a family Christmas movie guy.
What is creative about copying extracting?
Souless, I hate it. Insulting to art and artists.
Don't kid yourselves for one second that super rich people who buy this and other modern art do it because they like it or think it is good, their motives are related to finance, tax evasion, money laundering and so on. Modern art that pretends it is about something intangible or difficult to describe is perfect for this function and unlike say a 17thC old master can be produced in whatever quantity the market needs.
This is capitalist art imho.
What is that even supposed to mean? Are you familiar with Soviet and Chinese art movements? There's some good stuff, like I am a big fan of the director Tarkovsky, but it's pretty awful too no? The most famous contemporary Chinese artist, Ai Weiwei, is wanted by his country's government
@@jeffm3283 It means it's all about the money. It's also called an opinion. My opinion. And you then go any use the word 'good stuff' to describe art movements. Good for you and your opinion. FFS...
@@ZER0-- "this is capitalist art" is a terrible comment there's no need to get mad. It's always been about the money. Since before Capitalism was a thing
@@jeffm3283 Sorry for the 'ffs'. I think I'd had a few. I just think that it is totally about the money with Koons.But as I said each to their own. Peace and love, to make up for the 'ffs'. Take care.
@@ZER0-- i was definitely drunk when posting like 50 comments, you're cool beau
Dude makes a collage and then hires an army of interns to paint it for him 😵
Will Jeff Koon's children work for him as indentured slaves or keep themselves independent and free people.
This may explain why jeff koons faked classical paintings feel dead in person… i saw a show of the classical paintings at gagosian with the blue spheres… i got no feeling from any of them
Yea i'll be honest those pieces did nothing for me either. Strange project to be honest. However, the skill, patience and effort they took to produce is amazing. Hopefully that came across in my video.
Well... I guess if you just want to paint. Join Jeff´s attelier... What I see in another way is that he works just like all the grand masters of the renaissance... yet people do overlook this fact. For me, as a more expressionistic type of artist, I cannot relate to this ultra-methodic process... Not my taste, not the outcomes I enjoy. Plus I do value the charm on single artists doing their best in many aspects.
I desagree with you in that the Great Masters of the Renaissance or Baroque had sometime lots of aprentices; but the Masters knew their work and could perfectly draw, paint or sculpt by themselvels.
call it BS if you want, but to me its just something different altogether.
IMO, its kinda like a MIchelin star restaurant -- using an entire team of people focused on miniscule tasks to really push the boundaries of what is possible.
and that is awesome! but probably not the place to go if you are hungry and want a perfectly cooked steak