Everyone is familiar with the interesting concept of stuffed toys and other similar creations. If you have come across any of such pieces, then you just might have Jeff Koons’ creation in your hands. These creations had a positive impact on Jeff Koons net worth
Jeff Koons net worth is $400 million. This is an accumulation of his earnings from his pet designs and other balloon designs. Between 2013 to 2018, Jeff Koons was named the most expensive living artist after a $58.4 million dollar sale.
Koons is known for his works that depict the popular culture and his creation of everyday objects using stainless steel. There are mixed opinions and thoughts on his works and while some believe it significant, others say there are no hidden meanings in them. Jeff Koons has dismissed this argument by revealing that there are no hidden meanings or critiques in his works.
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Early Life
Jeff Koons was born on January 1, 1995, to Henry and Gloria Koons in York, Pennsylvania. His father was an interior decorator and his mother was a seamstress. Koons grew up within an artistic environment and was always around his father.
He copied paintings his father made and pasted them on the shop window to attract visitors and buyers. He also went door-to-door, selling gift wrappers and candies to earn some money.
Koon studied painting in college at Maryland Institute College of Art and at the School of Art Institute of Chicago. He moved to New York in 1977 and worked in the Museum of Modern Art. During this time, he imitated his favourite artist, Salvador Dali, in an attempt to open up his career in artistry.
In 1980, he began work as a Wall Street commodities broker. He also worked as a political canvasser while staying with his parents. On returning to New York, he continued his career as a commodities broker.
Career
In the 1980s, Koon started gaining recognition as an artist when he set up his art studio. He employed 30 assistants to work with him in his studio. Using a colour-by-numbers system of drawing, Koons could have everyone’s hand on deck.
Koons made some works from 1977 to 1979, which he termed “early works”, as they had gained little attention. From 1978, he began making inflatable rabbits and flowers.
In between, Koons came up with the Pre-New, New, and Equilibrium series, which brought his works to the limelight. The Equilibrium is a Nobel Prize winner and remains one of his biggest achievements. This features three balls suspended in a glass cuboid filled with water.
Koons made the Sanctuary series which featured his blockbuster named – the Rabbit. The Rabbit presently lives in the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago. On May 15, 2019, the Rabbit recorded $91,075,000 after an auction sale, making it one of his most successful works.
Koons also made the Luxury and Degradation series, which centred on the theme of alcohol. Kiepenkerl followed this series with the same art style of stainless steel.
Other works that followed include the Banality series, the Made in Heaven series, and the Puppy, which is a legendary giant built of flowers. The Celebration series Easyfun, Easyfun-Ethereal, Splitrocker, Popeye, and many others are his works as well. Koons also worked with others for other art collaborations.
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Other Endeavors
Koons commissioned a song about himself in 1999. He has appeared on a television series known as Artstar which centered on arts. He also played a minor role in a 2008 movie titled ‘Milk’.
Koons has worked with New York governor Andrew Cuomo to help review designs for a bridge. He has also worked with BMW on their artistic sports cars.
Personal Life
Shannon Rodgers is the daughter of Koons, born to him while he was in college. He put her up for adoption. He married the porn star Ilona Staller in 1991. Their marriage was short-lived and ended after they had a son – Ludwig.
Koons is presently married to Justin Wheeler, who was his former employee. They currently live in an Upper East Side townhouse with six children.
Koons has faced several copyright infringement allegations, a few of which he successfully surfaced. He also donated $50,000 dollars to an organization to support Hillary Clinton’s campaign.
Awards And Achievements
Koons won the BZ Cultural Award from Berlin in 2000. In 2001, he won the Skowhegan Medal for Sculpture. In 2008, he got an honorary doctorate from the school of the Art Institute of Chicago.
He also received the U.S. State Department’s Medal of Arts in 2013. He was honoured with the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement Summit in San Francisco in 2004. In 2017, he received the annual Honorary Membership Award for Outstanding Contribution to Visual Culture.
