Skip to main content
0
Info
Jeff Koons

Amore, 1988

Information about the artwork

  • Translated titleLove
  • MaterialPorcelain
  • Dimensions80 x 50 x 50 cm
  • Year of acquisition1988
  • Inventory numberUAB 258
  • On viewCurrently not exhibited

More about the artwork

Jeff Koons is a master of kitsch—even if he would not say so himself. In his eyes, his “optimistic” art simply opens itself up to a wider audience. Especially the “Banality” series, to which “Amore” belongs and with which Koons suddenly advanced to a star artist, broke with the aesthetic and intellectual preferences of the art world. He found his inspiration in the tastes of the masses: souvenir objects, pop stars, or stuffed animals. His teddy bear promises love: the word “Amore” is displayed on its bib, the heart on his right paw declares “I ? you”. A honey pot, Rococo-esque base, and the delicate colors painted on the porcelain make for a literally sugar-sweet work. But is the little bear as harmless as it seems? Perhaps what is hidden behind all its loveliness is the ominous notion of art as the new “opium of the people.” For in an advertisement that Koons designed to accompany the “Banality” series, a blackboard behind him stated: “Exploits the masses” and “Banality as savior.”

Further artworks

Artwork: "Deine Beine" from Alexandra Bircken
Alexandra Bircken Deine Beine, 2019
Artwork: "Ladies and Gentlemen (Alphanso Panell)" from Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol Ladies and Gentlemen (Alphanso Panell), 1975
Artwork: "Untitled" from Wade Guyton
Wade Guyton Untitled, 2016
Artwork: "Paul Taylor" from Alex Katz
Alex Katz Paul Taylor, 1959
Artwork: "Untitled (USA 1981)" from Keith Haring
Keith Haring Untitled (USA 1981), 1981
Artwork: "Fruit Sticker I" from Alexandra Bircken
Alexandra Bircken Fruit Sticker I, 2021
Artwork: "Nose Job" from Amy Sillman
Amy Sillman Nose Job, 2014-2015
Artwork: "Still Life (Hammer and Sickle)" from Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol Still Life (Hammer and Sickle), 1976
Artwork: "Hanging Cat" from Bruce Nauman
Bruce Nauman Hanging Cat, 1989