Ron English "POPaganda"

Go out on the street…look for him on walls, in magazines and in galleries. The work manifests as sculpture, paintings and toys along with his own movies and cameos appearances. Ron English is just about everywhere. “POPaganda” is the name of choice he has dubbed his art and his claim to fame is with much warranted. That being said Ron takes on contemporary and counter-culture ideas and art. He is recognized in both streams and duly respected.  

The work is colorful, hyper-real and extravagant. His sometimes bizarre references on contemporary consumerism, culture and art history are amusing and at times disturbing. English does not believe in leaving his viewers with any lack of zeal. His hand is sure and the technique masterful.  He has influenced elections as much as any artist especially in the campaign of Barack Obama (2008). His work “Abraham Obama” was inspired from his feeling that there was a definite similarity between the 16^th President and the then to be 44^th president in looks, demeanor and historical relevance.

                                                                                         

You can look for Tony-the-Tiger, Cap’n Crunch and Toucan Sam as enlarged obese symbols of American obsessive habits and addictions in the English oeuvre. The Frankenstein Monster, the Incredible Hulk, the Marlboro Man and Homer Simpson are not spared English’s scrutiny and abuse. Creatures from the animal kingdom are hardly spared or excluded; English is very generous in his appetite for extreme satirical candor.

It is actually Pablo Picasso’s Guernica that English has referenced to the largest degree and number. His recreations and improvisation on the bombing of the small Spanish village (one of the world greatest and utterly heartless acts of crimes against humanity) that continues to intrigue and inspire the contemporary artist. His parody’s can be humorous and ironic but some are equal to the original even daring to surpass in horror the original.   

English continues to work and explore the infinite. He is an artist well into but still in his prime and expands his inextinguishable thirst for creativity. His journey is one that is open to the world. I can only encourage you as he would love you to join along.  

Jeff Koons!!! @ The Whitney

After a somewhat arduous journey to New York’s Manhattan Island I arrived at the Jeff Koons Whitney Retrospective last week. It is truly; in every way, with no doubt, Jeff  Koons. The exhibition is everything you have ever heard (or known) about the pitchman/artist; everything! Koons touts his work as a celebration of banality but the irony is the show itself in spite of the scale, shiny mirror sheen and pop/art references is largely itself an actual bore. It is also the most important exhibition in the world at this time and will only be seen in museums in two other countries. The Pompidou Center in France and the Bilbao in Spain will also house this extravagant behemoth of a retrospective. 

Koons has never really intended his art for anyone other than the one or point zero-zero one percent. In that he has succeeded like no one else. He sustains the record for the highest price ever paid for the work of a living artist ($58.4m.) The pieces are essentially a point for bragging rights for the owners. “Look; I own a Jeff koons…see how rich I am!” Koons is the tailor selling the emperor his new clothes while the emperor is well aware and enjoying the con. 

There is a refined; assembly line precision to the works. I also; at times, had the feeling of walking through a very high-end Walmart. Especially around the Hoovers encased like a Damien Hirst Shark and the floating basketballs. “Pick-Up in isle six!” At other times it seemed like a huge yard sale; somewhere to unload a huge amount of expensive “dust collectors” or garden shop plaster academic style yard sculptures in order to purchase newer, statelier, brighter ones. As I walked through the Koons retro I couldn’t miss seeing a small probably six or seven year old girl skipping through the galleries in a state of contentment and glee. I imagine it gave her the feeling of navigating her way through the objects of some fairy tale giant’s collection of porcelain nick knacks.   In her mind she could have been an extra in one of Disney’s films like “Honey; I Shrunk The Kids” or “Babes in Toy Land.” 

There was another young woman, probably in her twenties posing in front of selected pieces for her father. She was intent on getting the look and stance of a sculpture that looked like an enlarged dime store toy gorilla. She then did the same with the image of “The Incredible Hulk” represented in a painting. When I say her heading for a Koons’ original from the “Made in Heaven” series I was reluctant to look and quickly moved on. I can only imagine what she did in front of it.  “Made in Heaven” is a series of pornographic photo realist paintings and sculptures by Koon’s of Koons and his former Porn Star wife in totally explicit and erotic poses.  Is there nothing that is not for sell or display by Koons?

People were enjoying the exhibition in many ways. Photo flashes were a constant and it was quite the circus for many jockeying for position in front of and around various selected works.  I have to admit that I have enjoyed the work of Jeff Koons in other venues. I have seen his work at The La County Museum of Art, SFMOMA and at Gagosian’s Miami Basel booth last December. Each time Koons was immersed amongthe works of other contemporaries including John Baldessari, Barbara Kruger and Chris Ofili. 

  

It gave a balance to what Koons is attempting with his art. That is besides making tons of money.  His is a reaction to the concept and idea of art. He has gone beyond other artists into the forces behind the perfected viewing and purchasing of art as commodity. When looking for anything deeper in the work we are literally confronted with a mirror reflection of ourselves and the surrounding objects. Imagine a carnival funhouse set of mirrors with Koons serving as the narcissistic barker and we the rubes.