Introduction: Jeffery (Jeff) Koons (1955–present) is an American contemporary artist most recognized for his Neo-pop sculptures depicting everyday objects and pop culture visuals. Jeff Koons was born in York, Pennsylvania, in 1955 where he lived with his father, a furniture dealer and interior decorator, and his mother, a seamstress. Showing an interest in art from an early age, Koons was able to copy old master paintings at age 9, which his father displayed at his store to attract visitors. His interest in art continued throughout his youth, with teenage Koons revering Salvador Dali and going as far as to visit him at the St. Regis Hotel in New York City. In 1976 Koons graduated with a BFA in painting from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore. At the Art Institute Koons met Ed Paschke, who influenced Koons heavily and allowed Koons to work as his studio assistant, giving him opportunities to expand his art knowledge.

Moving to New York City in 1977, Koons first worked at the MoMA membership desk while establishing his own artistic portfolio. Koons ran into problems financing his first artistic series, which led him to begin working in the world of finance in 1980 in order to support his own art and be free from the influence of outside investors. 

After his first solo exhibition in 1980 Koons began gaining recognition for his work, with his art being classified as “Neo-pop” or “Post-pop”— movements which emerged in the 1980’s as a reaction to conceptualism and minimalism. The Neo-pop and Post-pop genres both integrate references to Dada and Pop Art, including the use of everyday objects, commodification, and pop culture— evident in Koons’ early work of small-scale assemblages of toys and found objects and conceptual sculptures. Ranging in scale and topic, Koons’ work often addresses his own interest in American popular culture, sexuality, “ready-made” art, and everyday visuals. Both his sculptures and paintings exhibit the common themes of a kitsch aesthetic reminiscent of Pop Art and playful visuals. 

After the success of his first exhibition, Koons established a factory-like studio in the Soho neighborhood of New York City, employing more than 30 employees and operating similarly to the Andy Warhol factory. Koons began producing his iconic monumental works made of porcelain, glass, and metal, using high-tech techniques such as engineering, milling, mechanics, rendering, laser manufacturing, and painting and polishing— often making his work quite expensive to create.

Koons has a large library of successful work including a variety of themed series. His sculptures have been some of the most expensive works ever sold by a contemporary artist, holding two record auction prices— Balloon Dog (Orange) earning $58.4 million in 2013 and Rabbit earning $91.1 million in 2019.

Throughout his career Koons has received a variety of artistic awards, including the Governor’s Awards for the Arts, Distinguished Arts Award from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, the Golden Plate Award from the Academy of Achievement; a position as Officier de la Légion d’Honneur in France; and the State Department’s Medal of the Arts for his commitment to the Art in Embassies Program and international cultural exchange. Since 2002, Koons has been a board member of The International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), as well as co-founding the Koons Family International Law and Policy Institute to combat global issues in child abduction and exploitation. 

During his career Koons’ work has received both positive and negative critiques, seen by some as an artistic pioneer and others as producing crass and kitsch work. Koons life has had many ups and downs, ranging from exhibiting his work in the royal palace in Versailles,

to supplementing the work of the classics with his additions, as well as a variety of intellectual property infringement scandals and custody battles with his first wife.

Today, Koons continues to produce art and live in New York city with his second wife and children. He has moved his factory-studio to the Chelsea neighborhood of New York, where he employs 90-120 assistants at a time.