Banality (sculpture series)
Encyclopedia
Banality is a series of sculpture
s by American artist Jeff Koons
. The works were unveiled in 1988 and have become controversial for their misuse of copyrighted images. Several editions of the sculptures have sold at auction for millions of dollars.
and has been described as kitsch
. They were designed to convey the emotion of "lying in the grass and taking a deep breath".
When it was first unveiled, the series was simultaneously on show at three different galleries, possible because several editions of each sculpture were made. Koons promoted his works by taking out four advertisements in the major trade magazines. Each of the full-page features depicted different parts of Koons' reputed persona:
The advertisements were the first time that Koons featured in his own work, exploiting the reputation that the media and his critics had propagated.
Several sculptures from the series have been adjudged to have broken copyright laws. Koons has defended his works on numerous occasions but the courts have repeatedly rejected his claims of fair use
by parody
.
; three editions of each were produced in addition to the artist's proof. The most notable pieces are detailed below.
made three identical porcelain sculptures of Bubbles and Jackson. At the time, each sculpture was said to be worth $250,000. Koons once said of the pop star, "If I could be one other living person, it would probably be Michael Jackson." The art piece went on to become one of Koons' best known works. The figure shows Jackson and the chimpanzee wearing gold military-style suits. In 2001, one of the figures was put up for auction and was expected to fetch between $3 million and $4 million. The figure sold to an anonymous telephone bidder for $5.6 million. The sale was a record for a work by Koons.
holding the cartoon character Pink Panther. Mansfield is sculpted from the waist up and is partly clothed, her breasts being exposed; her right hand covers her nearly-exposed breast. The Pink Panther is shown in full, his chin over the left shoulder of Mansfield. Robert Storr
, curator of the Department of Painting and Sculpture at the Museum of Modern Art
, commented on the piece: "His mating of Jayne Mansfield and the eponymous cartoon character in Pink Panther is a thoroughly enjoyable send-up of heterosexual rapture and celebrity romance." Koons' himself states that the piece was intended to represent the Pink Panther as a female masturbation aid. His depiction of the character caused legal issues and Koons was sued for copyright infringement, eventually settling out of court.
One edition of Pink Panther was sold at Sotheby's
in May 2011 with a complementary description in the catalogue entry:
On May 10, 2011, it sold significantly below the US$20–30 million expected price, reaching US$16,882,500.
's painting, St. John the Baptist
, Koons' sculpture was made in the same pose but he also added a pig and a bird into the saint's arms. His outstretched arm points to a cross. It has been described as "an insouciant yet sinister conflation of the sacred and the profane".
One edition of the sculpture was set to go on show at the Wright Exhibition Space in Seattle in February 2004, but it was discovered to have a sizeable crack along the arm. Bought in 1991 for US$150,000, the damage is expected to have reduced the resale price of the piece, though none of the editions have been sold at auction since. Patricia Leavengood, a sculpture conservation specialist, partly restored the damage and reduced the visibility of the crack. She noted, however, that "When it cracked, part of it slid forward and can't be moved back into place ... Porcelain wasn't meant to exist at this size. My primary task is to stabilize the piece, and that I can do."
Upon discovering that his picture had been copied, Rogers sued Koons
and the Sonnabend Gallery for copyright infringement
. Koons admitted to having copied the image intentionally and, in 1992, the court found "substantial similarity
" between the two works and that Koons acted in a "willful and egregious" manner. They rejected his parody argument and awarded a significant settlement to Rogers.
At a Sotheby's auction in November 2001 one of the three editions of Ushering in Banality sold for US$1,875,750.
from the Garfield
comic strip by Jim Davis
with only minimal changes. In 1993, United Feature Syndicate, Inc. sued Koons for his unsanctioned use of Odie, successfully arguing that he had breached copyright law. Koons had defended himself in other cases using the parody argument but could not do so here—he testified to being unaware of the source of the character and therefore could not have directed the parody at the comic.
One edition of the sculpture sold in November 2004 for US$1.5 million, significantly higher than its US$400,000 estimate.
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
s by American artist Jeff Koons
Jeff Koons
Jeffrey "Jeff" Koons is an American artist known for his reproductions of banal objects—such as balloon animals produced in stainless steel with mirror finish surfaces....
. The works were unveiled in 1988 and have become controversial for their misuse of copyrighted images. Several editions of the sculptures have sold at auction for millions of dollars.
Series details
The series consists of a number of large sculptures inspired by Hummel figurinesHummel figurines
Hummel figurines are a series of porcelain figurines based on the drawings of Sister Maria Innocentia Hummel, O.S.F.-History:...
and has been described as kitsch
Kitsch
Kitsch is a form of art that is considered an inferior, tasteless copy of an extant style of art or a worthless imitation of art of recognized value. The concept is associated with the deliberate use of elements that may be thought of as cultural icons while making cheap mass-produced objects that...
. They were designed to convey the emotion of "lying in the grass and taking a deep breath".
When it was first unveiled, the series was simultaneously on show at three different galleries, possible because several editions of each sculpture were made. Koons promoted his works by taking out four advertisements in the major trade magazines. Each of the full-page features depicted different parts of Koons' reputed persona:
- A propagator of the banal: Koons is shown alongside two pigs
- A bad influence on future generations: he is in a classroom with lots of children, a blackboard contains the slogans "Exploit the Masses" and "Banality as Savior"
- A gigoloGigoloGigolo may refer to:* A male prostitute, escort, or dancer, who offers services to women* Gigolo , a 2006 single by Helena Paparizou* Gigolo , a 2003 single by Nick Cannon...
: he is standing in front of a boudoir-style tent - A ladies man: he is with a pony and several women in bikinis
The advertisements were the first time that Koons featured in his own work, exploiting the reputation that the media and his critics had propagated.
Several sculptures from the series have been adjudged to have broken copyright laws. Koons has defended his works on numerous occasions but the courts have repeatedly rejected his claims of fair use
Fair use
Fair use is a limitation and exception to the exclusive right granted by copyright law to the author of a creative work. In United States copyright law, fair use is a doctrine that permits limited use of copyrighted material without acquiring permission from the rights holders...
by parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
.
Constituent sculptures
Most of the sculptures are made of porcelainPorcelain
Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and...
; three editions of each were produced in addition to the artist's proof. The most notable pieces are detailed below.
Bear and Policeman
In 1988, Jeff KoonsJeff Koons
Jeffrey "Jeff" Koons is an American artist known for his reproductions of banal objects—such as balloon animals produced in stainless steel with mirror finish surfaces....
made three identical porcelain sculptures of Bubbles and Jackson. At the time, each sculpture was said to be worth $250,000. Koons once said of the pop star, "If I could be one other living person, it would probably be Michael Jackson." The art piece went on to become one of Koons' best known works. The figure shows Jackson and the chimpanzee wearing gold military-style suits. In 2001, one of the figures was put up for auction and was expected to fetch between $3 million and $4 million. The figure sold to an anonymous telephone bidder for $5.6 million. The sale was a record for a work by Koons.
Pink Panther
Pink Panther is a 41-inch tall porcelain sculpture featuring Jayne MansfieldJayne Mansfield
Jayne Mansfield was an American actress working both in Hollywood and on the Broadway theatre...
holding the cartoon character Pink Panther. Mansfield is sculpted from the waist up and is partly clothed, her breasts being exposed; her right hand covers her nearly-exposed breast. The Pink Panther is shown in full, his chin over the left shoulder of Mansfield. Robert Storr
Robert Storr
-Education:Robert Storr received his B.A. in History and French from Swarthmore College in 1972, and earned an M.F.A. in Art from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1978.-Career:...
, curator of the Department of Painting and Sculpture at the Museum of Modern Art
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
, commented on the piece: "His mating of Jayne Mansfield and the eponymous cartoon character in Pink Panther is a thoroughly enjoyable send-up of heterosexual rapture and celebrity romance." Koons' himself states that the piece was intended to represent the Pink Panther as a female masturbation aid. His depiction of the character caused legal issues and Koons was sued for copyright infringement, eventually settling out of court.
One edition of Pink Panther was sold at Sotheby's
Sotheby's
Sotheby's is the world's fourth oldest auction house in continuous operation.-History:The oldest auction house in operation is the Stockholms Auktionsverk founded in 1674, the second oldest is Göteborgs Auktionsverk founded in 1681 and third oldest being founded in 1731, all Swedish...
in May 2011 with a complementary description in the catalogue entry:
On May 10, 2011, it sold significantly below the US$20–30 million expected price, reaching US$16,882,500.
Saint John the Baptist
Inspired by Leonardo da VinciLeonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance...
's painting, St. John the Baptist
St. John the Baptist (Leonardo)
St. John the Baptist is an oil painting on walnut wood by the artist Leonardo da Vinci. Completed from 1513 to 1516, when the High Renaissance was metamorphosing into Mannerism, it is believed to be his last painting. The original size of the work was 69x57 cm. It is now exhibited at the Musée du...
, Koons' sculpture was made in the same pose but he also added a pig and a bird into the saint's arms. His outstretched arm points to a cross. It has been described as "an insouciant yet sinister conflation of the sacred and the profane".
One edition of the sculpture was set to go on show at the Wright Exhibition Space in Seattle in February 2004, but it was discovered to have a sizeable crack along the arm. Bought in 1991 for US$150,000, the damage is expected to have reduced the resale price of the piece, though none of the editions have been sold at auction since. Patricia Leavengood, a sculpture conservation specialist, partly restored the damage and reduced the visibility of the crack. She noted, however, that "When it cracked, part of it slid forward and can't be moved back into place ... Porcelain wasn't meant to exist at this size. My primary task is to stabilize the piece, and that I can do."
String of Puppies
String of Puppies is a porcelain sculpture depicting a man and a woman sat on a bench holding eight blue puppies. The inspiration came from a photograph by Art Rogers entitled Puppies. Koons found the picture on a postcard and, when he gave it to his assistants with instructions on how to model the sculpture, he asked that as much detail be copied as possible. He requested a few changes to the original, asking for the puppies to be blue with exaggerated noses, and for flowers to be added to the hair of the man and woman. The three editions of the sculpture were sold for a total of $367,000.Upon discovering that his picture had been copied, Rogers sued Koons
Rogers v. Koons
Rogers v. Koons, , is a leading U.S. court case on copyright, dealing with the fair use defense for parody. The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit found that an artist copying a photograph could be liable for infringement when there was no clear need to imitate the photograph...
and the Sonnabend Gallery for copyright infringement
Copyright infringement
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "Piracy" :...
. Koons admitted to having copied the image intentionally and, in 1992, the court found "substantial similarity
Substantial similarity
Substantial similarity is the standard developed and used by United States courts to determine whether a defendant has infringed the reproduction right of a copyright. The standard arises out of the recognition that the exclusive right to make copies of a work would be meaningless if infringement...
" between the two works and that Koons acted in a "willful and egregious" manner. They rejected his parody argument and awarded a significant settlement to Rogers.
Ushering in Banality
A pig with a green ribbon is being pushed by two young angels (alongside it) with a young boy dressed in a tracksuit behind it. Ushering in Banality was ruled to have "deliberately and exactly copied" a photograph by Barbara Campbell. Koons had instructed his Italian studio to replicate Campbell's Boys with Pig using it as a model for the design.At a Sotheby's auction in November 2001 one of the three editions of Ushering in Banality sold for US$1,875,750.
Wild Boy and Puppy
Wild Boy and Puppy is a porcelain sculpture featuring a yellow cartoon dog, a "wild boy" with red spiky hair, and a bumblebee in a basket. The cartoon dog is a clear replica of OdieOdie
Odie is a fictional character in the Jim Davis comic strip Garfield. He has also appeared in Garfield and Friends, The Garfield Show, two live-action feature films, and 3 CGI films....
from the Garfield
Garfield
Garfield is a comic strip created by Jim Davis. Published since June 19, 1978, it chronicles the life of the title character, the cat Garfield ; his owner, Jon Arbuckle; and Arbuckle's dog, Odie...
comic strip by Jim Davis
Jim Davis (cartoonist)
James Robert Davis is an American cartoonist, best known as the creator of the comic strip Garfield, which he signs as Jim Davis. He has also worked on other strips: Tumbleweeds, Gnorm Gnat, U.S. Acres and a strip about Mr...
with only minimal changes. In 1993, United Feature Syndicate, Inc. sued Koons for his unsanctioned use of Odie, successfully arguing that he had breached copyright law. Koons had defended himself in other cases using the parody argument but could not do so here—he testified to being unaware of the source of the character and therefore could not have directed the parody at the comic.
One edition of the sculpture sold in November 2004 for US$1.5 million, significantly higher than its US$400,000 estimate.