Jeff Koons

Born in 1955, Jeff Koons is widely regarded as one of the most influential, popular, and controversial artists of the post-War era. Throughout his career, he has pioneered new approaches to the readymade, tested the boundaries between advanced art and mass culture, challenged the limits of industrial fabrication, and transformed the relationship of artists to the cult of celebrity and the global market. Koons is celebrated for his universally recognizable style, combining art historical references with vernacular objects and images.  

A graduate of Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, Koons received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1976. Shortly after, he moved to New York and began working at the membership desk of the Museum of Modern Art. It was in this time that he began to create sculptures using reflective materials in bold and glaring colors.  Koons' first solo exhibition was held at the New Museum in 1980 and he has since gained international acclaim, with solo exhibitions in Musée d'art Contemporain, Nîmes, France (2002); Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Naples (2003); Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (2008); The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (2008); Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin (2008); Serpentine Gallery, London (2009); and many more venues.  Additionally, he has earned several accolades such as the BZ Cultural Award from the City of Berlin in 2000 and the Skowhegan Medal for Sculpture in 2001.