Do you like Michael Jackson Atria? I am not particularly interested in music, especially pop music, but I thought you may be and apparently Michael Jackson is a classic. This picture was taken also at the Broad, contemporary art museum in LA I wrote to you about few days ago. It's a very shiny, bright looking artwork/statue.
Jeff Koons created this sculpture of Michael Jackson and his pet chimpanzee Bubbles in 1988. Bubbles was Jackson's domestic animal and it has been claimed by the media that he was Jackson's best and faithful friend who even joined the singer on his world tours and helped in the household (well... I am not sure about that, but it would be nice to have a little guy to help with my household chores) :-)
The sculpture is made from porcelain. The dead white of Jackson’s skin and his glamorous pose with Bubbles in matching clothing invite a chilling range of questions about celebrity and image making. I read in the Wikipedia that this sculpture has been also interpreted as a symbol of the human desire for self-discovery. Jackson demonstrated publicly his childlike personality and tried to reinvent himself by means of plastic surgery. Koons was fascinated by the self transformations of Jackson and the way he played with images such as himself against Bubbles. The assimilated chimp on his lap underlines this aspect of self-exploration. He is a traditional symbol in fine arts which serves to mirror human nature. But meanwhile the plastic demonstrates the tragic impossibility of this attempt. The material's aesthetic and Jackson's aura of transcendence show how unnatural the results of this self-exploration must be. Well.... I would have never figured out his interpretation myself :-) What do you think? Do you like it?
Jeff Koons created this sculpture of Michael Jackson and his pet chimpanzee Bubbles in 1988. Bubbles was Jackson's domestic animal and it has been claimed by the media that he was Jackson's best and faithful friend who even joined the singer on his world tours and helped in the household (well... I am not sure about that, but it would be nice to have a little guy to help with my household chores) :-)
The sculpture is made from porcelain. The dead white of Jackson’s skin and his glamorous pose with Bubbles in matching clothing invite a chilling range of questions about celebrity and image making. I read in the Wikipedia that this sculpture has been also interpreted as a symbol of the human desire for self-discovery. Jackson demonstrated publicly his childlike personality and tried to reinvent himself by means of plastic surgery. Koons was fascinated by the self transformations of Jackson and the way he played with images such as himself against Bubbles. The assimilated chimp on his lap underlines this aspect of self-exploration. He is a traditional symbol in fine arts which serves to mirror human nature. But meanwhile the plastic demonstrates the tragic impossibility of this attempt. The material's aesthetic and Jackson's aura of transcendence show how unnatural the results of this self-exploration must be. Well.... I would have never figured out his interpretation myself :-) What do you think? Do you like it?
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