1955 in Philadelphia geboren, wollte Jeff Koons vor allem eins werden: reich und berühmt. Nach dem Kunststudium arbeitete er ab 1976 einige Jahre im Museum of Modern Art sowie als Broker in New York, um seine Werke selbst finanzieren zu können. Bald entstanden die ersten seiner legendären Ballontiere, und es ging steil bergauf mit dem Shootingstar der Neo-Pop Art. Die bunten 80er Jahre kamen wie gerufen für Koons, der unter anderem Marcel Duchamps, Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso und natürlich Andy Warhol als die wichtigsten Künstler nennt, die ihn inspiriert haben. In seinen Werken verarbeitet Jeff Koons Alltagsgegenstände, die oftmals einen starken Bezug zur Kindheit haben. Er imitiert sie, verfremdet sie, überhöht sie, sexualisiert sie oder gruppiert sie mit Werbung, Fotografien oder Comics zu großformatigen Collagen. Seit der Versteigerung der Edelstahlskulptur Rabbit im Jahr 2019 ist Jeff Koons wieder der teuerste lebende Künstler.
Jeff Koons Ausstellungen (Solo):
Jeff Koons: Absolute Value. Selected works from the Collection of Marie and Jose Mugrabi. Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Tel Aviv, Israel [March 10, 2020 – January 30, 2021]
Jeff Koons at DESTE’s Project Space, Hydra, Greece [June 21 – September 30, 2021]
Jeff Koons. Shine. Palazzo Strozzi, Florence, Italy [September 25, 2021 – January 23, 2022]
2019 Jeff Koons at the Ashmolean. Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, United Kingdom [February 7 – June 9, 2019]
2018 Jeff Koons: Works from the Astrup Fearnley Collection. Astrup Fearnley Museum, Oslo, Norway [September 20 – November 11, 2018]
Jeff Koons. Gagosian Gallery, 976 Madison Avenue, New York, New York [May 30 – August 24, 2018]
Jeff Koons: Easyfun-Ethereal. Gagosian Gallery, 555 W 24th Street, New York, New York [March 10 – April 21, 2018]
Masterpieces. De Nieuwe Kerk Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands [February 17 – April 8, 2018]
2017 Jeff Koons. Gagosian Gallery, Beverly Hills, California [April 27 – August 18, 2017]
2016 Jeff Koons. Almine Rech Gallery, London, England [October 4, 2016 – January 21, 2017]
Jeff Koons: Now. Newport Street Gallery, London, England [May 18 – October 16, 2016]
Jeff Koons: Ballerina. Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (MALBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina [April 15 – September 7, 2016]
2015 Jeff Koons: Gazing Ball Paintings. Gagosian Gallery, 522 W 21st Street, New York, New York [November 9 – December 23, 2015]
Jeff Koons: Balloon Venus (Orange). Natural History Museum Vienna, Vienna, Austria [September 30, 2015 – March 13, 2016]
Jeff Koons In Florence. Palazzo Vecchio and Piazza della Signoria, Florence, Italy [September 25, 2015 – January 21, 2016]
Jeff Koons: Hulk (Friends). Österreichische Galerie Belvedere, Vienna, Austria [September 4, 2015 – October 2, 2015]
Jeff Koons: A Retrospective. Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Bilbao, Spain [June 9 – September 27, 2015]
ARTIST ROOMS: Jeff Koons. Norwich Castle Museums & Art Gallery, Norwich, England [May 9 – September 6, 2015]
Jeff Koons: Gazing Ball (Charity). Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York [March 20 – August 16, 2015]
Jeff Koons: Jim Beam – J.B. Turner Engine and Six Individual Cars. Craig F. Starr Gallery, New York, New York [February 2 – March 28, 2015]
2014 Jeff Koons: A Retrospective. The Centre Pompidou, Paris, France [November 26, 2014 – April 27, 2015]
Jeff Koons: Hulk Elvis. Gagosian Gallery, Hong Kong [November 6 – December 20, 2014]
Jeff Koons: A Retrospective. Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, New York [June 27 – October 19, 2014]
Jeff Koons: Split-Rocker. Rockefeller Center, New York, [June 25 – September 18, 2014]
2013 ARTIST ROOMS: Jeff Koons. Brighton Museum and Gallery, Brighton, England [May 11 – September 8, 2013]
Jeff Koons: New Paintings and Sculpture. Gagosian Gallery, 555 W 24th Street, New York, New York [May 9 – June 29, 2013]
Jeff Koons: Gazing Ball. David Zwirner Gallery, New York, New York [May 8 – June 22, 2013]
2012 Jeff Koons. Gagosian Gallery, Beverly Hills, California [December 7, 2012 – February 14, 2013]
Jeff Koons. Almine Rech Gallery, Brussels, Belgium [October 6 – November 17, 2012]
Jeff Koons: The Painter. Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany [June 20 -September 23, 2012]
Jeff Koons: The Sculptor. Liebieghaus Skulpturensammlung, Frankfurt, Germany [June 20 – September 23, 2012]
Jeff Koons. Fondation Beyeler, Basel, Switzerland [May 13 – September 2, 2012]
2011 Moustache by Jeff Koons. High Museum of Art, Atlanta, Georgia [September 25, 2011 – May 29, 2012]
ARTIST ROOMS: Jeff Koons. National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland [March 19 – July 3, 2011]
2010 Jeff Koons: Made in Heaven Paintings. Luxembourg & Dayan, New York, New York [October 6, 2010 – January 21, 2011]
Jeff Koons: Popeye Sculpture. Galerie de Noirmont, Paris, France [September 16 – November 20, 2010]
Dictator. Gagosian Gallery, New York, New York [August 23, 2010 – January 19, 2011]
Jeff Koons: Cracked Egg (Blue). Conservatory, Aylesbury, Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire, England
[July – October 31, 2010]
2009 Jeff Koons: New Paintings. Gagosian Gallery, Beverly Hills, California [November 14, 2009 – January 9, 2010]
Jeff Koons: Popeye Series. Serpentine Gallery, London, England [July 2 – September 13, 2009]
2008 Jeff Koons: Celebration. Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin, Germany [October 31, 2008 – February 8, 2009]
Jeff Koons. Galerie Max Hetzler, Berlin, Germany [October 29 – December 6, 2008]
Jeff Koons: Versailles. Château de Versailles, Versailles, France [October 9, 2008 – April 1, 2009]
Jeff Koons. Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Chicago, Illinois [May 31 – September 21, 2008]
Jeff Koons: On the Roof. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, New York [April 22 – October 26, 2008]
2007 Jeff Koons: Popeye. Gagosian Gallery, Davies Street, London, England [June 1 – July 27, 2007]
Jeff Koons: Hulk Elvis. Gagosian Gallery, Britannia Street, London, England [June 1 – July 27, 2007]
2006 Cracked Egg (Blue). Gagosian Gallery, London, England [October 2 – December 2, 2006]
Sculpture. Gagosian Gallery, Beverly Hills, California [July 20 – August 30, 2006]
Diamond. Victoria & Albert Museum, London, England [May 23 – September 3, 2006]
Balloon Flower (Red). 7 World Trade Center, New York, New York [2006]
2005 Jeff Koons. Lever House, New York, New York [December 2005 – February 2006]
Jeff Koons: Retrospective. Helsinki City Art Museum, Helsinki, Finland [January 28 – April 10, 2005]
2004 Jeff Koons: Retrospective. Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art, Oslo, Norway [September 4 –
December 12, 2004]
Jeff Koons: Highlights of 25 Years. C&M Arts, New York, New York [April 7 – June 5, 2004]
Backyard. Galerie Max Hetzler, Berlin, Germany [January 17 – February 14, 2004]
2003 Popeye. Sonnabend Gallery, New York, New York [November 8 – December 19, 2003]
Jeff Koons. Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Naples, Italy [June 9 – September 15, 2003]
2002 Jeff Koons. Sonnabend Gallery, New York, New York [November 9 – December 20, 2002]
Jeff Koons: Pictures 1980-2002. Kunsthaus Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany [September 22 – November 10, 2002]
Jeff Koons: Embrace Your Past. York College, York, Pennsylvania [September 25 – November 6, 2002]
Easyfun-Ethereal. Guggenheim Museum, New York, New York [July 19 – September 3, 2002]
La Part de l’autre Carré d’Art. Musée d’art Contemporain, Nîmes, France [May 18 – September 15, 2002]
Easyfun-Ethereal. 25th São Paulo Biennial, São Paulo, Brazil [March 23 – June 2, 2002]
Jeff Koons. Chosun Ilbo Art Museum, Séoul, Korea
2001 Jeff Koons: Easyfun-Ethereal. Guggenheum Museum Bilbao, Bilbao, Spain [October 2, 2001 – January 20, 2002]
Easyfun–Ethereal. Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland [July 28 – September 12, 2001]
Jeff Koons. Kunsthaus Bregenz, Bregenz, Austria [July 18 – September 16, 2001]
New Paintings. Gagosian Gallery, Los Angeles, California [March 22 – May 12, 2001]