Jeff Koons
Jeff Koons (born in 1955) is a provocative artist who splits the world of art in two. His works strain the boundaries between kitsch and art and quickly made him one of the most influential figures in the industry. "He has changed the perception of art like hardly any other artist," wrote the German newspaper FAZ in January 2015 in celebration of his 60th birthday.
After studying art in Baltimore and Chicago, Koons initially worked for several years as a Wall Street commodities broker before returning to his origins at the end of the 1970s.
Koons distorted, trivialised and reproduced everyday life and pop culture objects. He then sold them on the art market as chrome-plated, high-gloss objects for millions of dollars. His "Balloon Dog (Orange)", which was auctioned at Christie's in 2013 for 58.4 million US dollars, made him the most expensive living artist of our time.
