What is Jeff Koons’s art really about? According to a newly released mini-documentary, narrated by none other than Scarlett Johansson, the answer is new things (vacuum cleaners, basketballs, shiny surfaces) and old things (Praxitales, Massacio, and Led Zeppelin).
The eight-minute video traces the artist’s rise from outsider to art-world giant with a little help from ScarJo’s smoky-voiced narration. The actress, it turns out, is a big fan of the 62-year-old (fast forward to 2:45). Directed by Oscar Boyson, the video was produced last spring in collaboration with MOCA, who honored Koons at their spring gala. Luckily for us, it has now been released to the public.
The fast-paced highlight reel includes sound bytes from collectors Eli and Edythe Broad, artist George Condo, dealer Larry Gagosian, and the ultimate authority: Happy singer Pharrell Williams.
Of course, Koons never seems to be out of the limelight for long. An inflated version of his balloon-ballerina perched at Rock Center earlier this spring. On Monday, news dropped of his participation with a virtual reality arts platform set to launch this fall, and he is the focus of a retrospective at Gagosian’s Beverly Hills outpost through August.
Indeed, even though his work is not on display at Art Basel, he still managed to make his presence felt in Switzerland this week via his recent line of Louis Vuitton bags. If ScarJo doesn’t give you enough, here’s a taste:
A fairgoer rests his Jeff Koons for Louis Vuitton handbag in a bugaboo child-carrier. Image via Instagram.