Jeff Koons is seen by many in the contemporary art community as the next Andy Warhol. Judging by his approach to the actual production of the art, many critics may be spot on. One thing that bothers many people about Koons' art is that he does not physically touch all of the art he makes. That isn't to say he has no impact on the art he produces. Koons employs roughly 80 people in his New York studio who work on his art which Koons conceptualizes. Many in the art community criticize Koons because of his mass marketing approach to sales. Koons formerly worked as a trader on Wall St. and it is clear his training has carried over to the Art World. He speaks at exhibitions about "increasing market share", and enormous publicity stunts.
His work has a large range, from silk-screens to lavish sculptures. However, one aspect of his work carries across mediums- capitalistic quantity. His sculptures and casts seem to be one of a kind but Koons produces multiples that sell for quantities which are reserved for singular pieces. Michael Jackson and Bubbles, pictured below has three copies in the series. When the third one sold at auction, the auction was not just for the work but for the access to the family of art collectors with such developed tastes.
Marketing is equally important to Koons. While other artists may think it is selling out to have a full fledged marketing campaign, Koons revels in this capitalistic approach. Many times ads for his gallery showings depict Koons like a rockstar with women in bikinis. Koons' art is as much a medium of emotion as it is a comment on the capitalism of the current art market.
My question for the class is would you buy a famous artist's piece if you knew it was created in a factory, perhaps not even by the artist him/herself. I personally would be less likely to buy famous art if I had any doubts of who made the art- however I understand that many do not care who created the art, only the message.