Heather’s Review of Jeff Koons on the Roof- Extra Credit Assignment
It was silly and ridiculous, but quite delightful. The exhibition was made up of three sculptures: a larger-than-life balloon dog, a heart wrapped up for the taking and an illegible mass of color depicting a cartoon character. Set against the backdrop of the New York skyline, these items take on an even more surreal quality than would be experienced inside of the museum, where whimsy and color are expected.
From a purely aesthetic point of view, the details of the wrinkled paper on the heart were impressive and appreciated, through the “Coloring Book” sculpture, nothing but a mass of color, seemed odd and out of place next to the other two definitive symbols.
On a deeper level, and connecting it to the concept of Symbolism, I’m not sure I got the deeper meaning behind the sculptures. The “Sacred Heart (Red/Gold)” was obviously about the commercialization of emotions and “love” in our society. And once I was informed of the identity of “Coloring Book” I was able to ascertain an odd message of hero worship and celebrity, even of a character of infantile fiction. Obviously, I’m still an amateur art critic, so I missed the hypersexual message behind the balloon dog I was supposed to catch. The exhibit really did point out how touch-and-go symbolism can be sometimes. People often discredit artistic symbolism because of the argument “How do we know that’s actually what the artist intended?” I take the opposite view. For example, I may have been able to understand a meaning for the balloon dog all my own if it weren’t for the fact that I was “supposed” to see a sexual concept. Symbols are about the story being told and I believe that story is a collaborative effort by both the artist and the viewer. Simply because my interpretation was not the original meaning doesn’t mean it isn’t still a valid way of viewing the piece- it’s simply how it relates to my unique point of view and experiences.
As for advanced critics, they all seemed to dislike the exhibition. They felt it was dwarfed by the outer elements and was generally kitschy, clichéd and silly.
I would recommend you see for yourself- at the very least it’s interesting to look at.
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Cultural Map
"The Original Topography of Manhattan Island from the Battery to 155th Street" From Report on the Social Statistics of Cities, Compiled by George E. Waring, Jr., United States. Census Office, Part I, 1886. (Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection, University of Texas-Austin)
