Saw an excellent documentary on Jeff Koons yesterday on Sky Atlantic.

He was being interviewed (though it was more like a chat) by fashion designer Tom Ford.

I didn’t really know very much about Jeff Koons before this. I’d seen the odd piece, but didn’t even know what he looks like. Hilariously I thought he was one of the blokes in a given frame with a beard and glasses who looked like an artist (it was one of his team). They described him as very ordinary and ‘just like your dad’ and he is.

I found his work really fascinating and the way he works even more so. A lot of the large paintings and even sculptures were coloured like a giant paint by numbers. He said this was to ensure colour consistency and showed lots of people who just seemed to mix up paint and create named coloured swatches. I found this particularly interesting given the research I had just done for my blue/colour essay. He also did some great Lichtenstein-style paintings of Popeye – which I am fascinated by being in the printing industry – paintings that look how print does through a linen tester.

I also adored his balloon sculptures. They are amazing. I love things that are made of one thing but look like they are made of another. They look like giant inflatables, but are made of metal with a primer over them to make them super smooth. Amazing bits of engineering.

His work does have a sinister edge to it and is always something fun and child related. I was particularly floored by the vintage advertising which he turned into massive paintings – which were, again, done by his team.

Would like to look at his work further in any appropriate projects we have coming up.

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