JEFF KOONS: A RETROSPECTIVE @ Whitney, More than Just Hot Air

Koons the Balloon man or the Michael Jackson & chimp guy, that's the one…there's a RETROSPECTIVE of his work at the Whitney through Oct. at which time the Whitney is packing up & moving down to the Highline.  There's more to this artist than meets the eye & perhaps more of him than you'd choose to see.  (There are large nude photos of Koons & his ex-wife; ex-Italian porn star.)  Koons is a brilliant self-promoter.  His middle class/middle Amer. upbringing formed the springing board for his prominent conceptual art.  His father's home goods business was where Koons developed a keen eye for displaying merchandise that grabs the consumer's attention.  Whimsy, pops of color, playful objects, iconic figures & lighting were all key elements he carried with him into his work over the years.  Koons greatly admired the artists Duchamp & Dahli.  Their impact is evident in Koons' transformation of mundane objects into art & the invention of his own bigger than life persona.  In fact, big is an adjective that would describe many of the works in the exhibit as well as colorful, shiny & whimsical.  Who doesn't respond to big & shiny objects that have a sense of humor?  What resonated most for me was his scientific approach to many of his works.  Take for example the floating basketballs (like a shark in a tank) and the large scale figures such as the hulk or gorilla made of steel or concrete that appear to be made of soft plastic like the rubber rabbits on the main floor. The large scale balloon sculptures are not only vibrant they appear likely to float away.  JEFF KOONS:  A RETROSPECTIVE is worth seeing, contemplating & enjoying.  Do I consider all of Koons' work or for that matter, that of Hirst or Oldenberg art?   Duh, dada - boundaries are meant to be pushed.  Kitch  has appeal for the filthy rich.