Petty cogitation : Would you put your hands on Jeff Koons‘s Balloon Dog leather bag for H&M if you had the opportunity? I’m personally torn.
Mr. Koons is without a doubt a huge popular figure of the contemporary art world, but also a smart controversial business man. Like a lot of artists of his generation he became his own brand, and balances art and commerce like only few of his fellows do. Despite the fact that his personality can be relatively irritating sometimes, his popish and kitsch artworks are interesting. Very straightforward and accessible, his bombastic pieces are talking to the masses. You don’t need to have a PHD in Contemporary Art to understand Koons’s art, and it’s probably why he is such a notorious artist even though only few privileged persons can afford his work.
The swedish retailer H&M is one of the sponsors of Koons’s giant retrospective at the Whitney Museum in New York (ongoing until October 19). To “celebrate” their corporate fashion deal the artist will for the occasion take over H&M’s newest Fifth Avenue flagship store in the big apple, curating a small exhibition , and designing a limited edition of handbags and clutches displaying his iconic gold doggy balloon. Of course, you can purchase the bag for a very democratic price (unlike Koons’s actual artworks), which is a smart move from Koons’s team as the artist is perpetually working on the idea of popular culture, and have no problem of being tagged under the “mainstream” category.
Would you fancy that bag? Would you wear it as a statement or in an ironic way? Would you feel part of the artsy fartsy crowd walking around your Koons’s doggy? Or would you simply ignore this other commercial attempt?
The launch event in NYC few days ago was very successful, it looks like all the artsy fashionistas wanted their piece of Koons. I don’t see the fifty dollars “in your face” purse as a It bag, but more as a commercial attempt to make contemporary “art” accessible.
Does Contemporary art makes you swear too sometimes?
The Bubblist 