{"id":1411781,"date":"2026-01-26T11:00:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-26T08:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1411781"},"modified":"2026-01-26T11:00:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T08:00:07","slug":"john-yau-on-jeff-koons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1411781","title":{"rendered":"John Yau on Jeff Koons"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"gh-article post tag-daily-newsletter tag-newsletter no-image\">\n<header class=\"gh-article-header gh-canvas\">\n<p>                Daily Newsletter<\/p>\n<h1 class=\"gh-article-title is-title\">John Yau on Jeff Koons<\/h1>\n<p class=\"gh-article-excerpt is-body\">Also: Sprinkler debacle at the Studio Museum in Harlem, Ellen Harvey\u2019s lost places, and a galaxy of armor.<\/p>\n<div class=\"gh-article-meta\">\n<div class=\"gh-article-author-image instapaper_ignore\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"author-profile-image\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/hyperallergic-favicon-d-blank-r-g-s-500.png\" alt=\"Hyperallergic\" title=\"hyperallergic-favicon-d-blank-r-g-s-500\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"gh-article-meta-wrapper\">\n<h4 class=\"gh-article-author-name\">Hyperallergic<\/h4>\n<div class=\"gh-article-meta-content\"><time class=\"gh-article-meta-date\" datetime=\"2026-01-26\">January 26, 2026<\/time><span class=\"gh-article-meta-length\"><span class=\"bull\">\u2014<\/span> 4 min read<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<section class=\"gh-content gh-canvas is-body\">\n<p>Have you ever had a \u201cbut what does it mean\u201d moment with an artwork? When you wonder if you\u2019re missing something? I had one the first time I saw a picture of Jeff Koons\u2019s sculpture \u201cMichael Jackson and Bubbles\u201d (1988), as a fine art undergraduate. Was it supposed to be good, or so bad that it was good? Was it a parody or an homage?<\/p>\n<p>John Yau brings a critical eye and acerbic wit to his review of Koons\u2019s current Gagosian exhibition. ForYau, these highly polished porcelain sculptures perfectly mirror the values of the one-percenters who buy them (think Trump donors). Billionaires admiring their reflectionsin a Koons \u2014 I think I finally get it.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014<em>Natalie Haddad, reviews editor<\/em><\/p>\n<hr>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-83-1.png\" class=\"kg-image\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" title=\"image-83-1\"><figcaption><span>A visitor snapping a photo of Jeff Koons, &#8220;Kissing Lovers&#8221; (2016\u201325) at Gagosian Gallery in New York (photo Hakim Bishara\/<\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">Hyperallergic<\/em><\/i><span>) <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"jeff-koons%E2%80%99s-reflective-sculptures-mirror-the-one-percent\">Jeff Koons\u2019s Reflective Sculptures Mirror the One Percent<\/h3>\n<p>Seeing your distorted image in one of theseporcelain sculptures may be novel, but they are \u201cnot mirroring the selfie-takers as much as those who identify with Koons\u2019s aesthetics, and believe his work is an important contribution to art history and culture.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-white kg-cta-immersive  kg-cta-has-img  \" data-layout=\"immersive\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label\"><span>SPONSORED<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-image-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/hannah-cole-1200x628-1-1.png\" alt=\"CTA Image\" data-image-dimensions=\"1200x628\" title=\"hannah-cole-1200x628-1-1\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content-inner\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-text\">\n<p><b><strong>The Top Four Tax Mistakes Every Artist Makes<\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span>Learn the most common mistakes artists make on their taxes and how they cost you time and money. In this free class, Hannah Cole, artist and author of\u00a0<\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">Taxes for Humans<\/em><\/i><span>, will share her four-step framework to make your taxes easier while feeling valued as an artist, and the secret to stashing more in your savings. Tuesday, January 27, at 12pm (ET).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>                            Register here<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"news\">News <\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/iiif-service_pnp_highsm_24800_24816-full-pct_50-0-default-1-1.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" title=\"iiif-service_pnp_highsm_24800_24816-full-pct_50-0-default-1-1\"><figcaption><span>West wall of Ben Shahn&#8217;s &#8220;Meaning of Social Security&#8221; mural in the Cohen Building in Washington, DC (photo by Carol Highsmith via <\/span><span>Library of Congress<\/span><span>)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li>Artists and cultural workers signed a letter urging the Jewish Museum to help save the Cohen Building in Washington, DC,\u00a0as Trump officials move to expedite its sale and potentially demolish it and its New Deal-era murals. <\/li>\n<li>The city of Philadelphia is suing the Department of the Interior and the acting director of the National Park Service over the removal of a wall text and illustrations from an exhibition about slavery in a historical park.<\/li>\n<li>Two months after unveiling its new building, the Studio Museum evacuated visitors due to a messy &#8220;sprinkler emergency.&#8221; <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-white kg-cta-immersive  kg-cta-has-img  \" data-layout=\"immersive\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label\"><span>SPONSORED<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-image-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/risd_pre-college_hyperallergic_january2026-1.jpg\" alt=\"CTA Image\" data-image-dimensions=\"1200x628\" title=\"risd_pre-college_hyperallergic_january2026-1\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content-inner\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-text\">\n<p><b><strong>Rhode Island School of Design Pre-College Enrolling for Summer 2026<\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span>RISD Pre-College now offers in-person and virtual program formats for young artists anywhere in the world. Students will join RISD&#8217;s creative community in an intensive summer program, engaging with a cohort of like-minded peers to build their portfolio and forever shape their approach to art and design.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>                            Learn more<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"from-our-critics\">From Our Critics<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/riverview-park-ellen-harvey-2021-oil-and-acrylic-on-gessoboard-18x24-in-photograph-by-etienne-frossard-1-1.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" title=\"riverview-park-ellen-harvey-2021-oil-and-acrylic-on-gessoboard-18x24-in-photograph-by-etienne-frossard-1-1\"><figcaption><span>Ellen Harvey, &#8220;Riverview Park&#8221; (2021), oil and acrylic on Gessoboard (photo by Etienne Frossard)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"ellen-harvey%E2%80%99s-elegy-to-lost-places\">Ellen Harvey\u2019s Elegy to Lost Places<\/h3>\n<p>Her painting series is a record of those grand and mundane places lost to time or other occurrences, whose presence we continue to mourn. | Lori Waxman<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"in-shiny-armor\">In Shiny Armor<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-84-1-1.png\" class=\"kg-image\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" title=\"image-84-1-1\"><figcaption><span>Unknown artisan, \u201cMaximilian Field Armor\u201d (1525\u201330), steel, leather, modern restorations (photo Sarah Bond\/<\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">Hyperallergic<\/em><\/i><span>)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"a-millennia-long-fascination-with-armor\">A Millennia-Long Fascination With Armor<\/h3>\n<p>Sarah Bond takes us through a new installation of the Worcester Art Museum\u2019s armor collection \u2014 the second largest in the country. \u201cAs it turns out, the setting of knights\u2019 tales doesn\u2019t just take place in the storied landscapes of the European Middle Ages,\u201d she writes. \u201cThey stretch across Eurasia, Africa, Japan, and beyond\u201d \u2014 even making their way to \u201ca galaxy far, far away.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-grey kg-cta-minimal    \" data-layout=\"minimal\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label\"><span>FEATURED OPPORTUNITY<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content-inner\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-text\">\n<p><b><strong>NXTHVN \u2013 Studio and Curatorial Fellowships<\/strong><\/b><br \/><span>Up to seven early-career visual artists and two curators participate in a paid, 10-month intensive mentorship-driven residency in New Haven, Connecticut. Fellows are also matched with a high school apprentice for one-on-one mutual learning. Read more on\u00a0<\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">Hyperallergic<\/em><\/i><span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Deadline: March 2, 2026 |\u00a0<\/span><span>nxthvn.com<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>See more in\u00a0this month\u2019s list of opportunities\u00a0for artists, writers, and art workers!<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"member-comment\">Member Comment<\/h2>\n<p>Antonio C. Cuyler on Bryan Martin&#8217;s &#8220;Accessibility Should Be at the Center of Museum Education&#8221;:<\/p>\n<div class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\n<div class=\"kg-callout-text\">Mr. Martin thank you for your article! I enjoyed reading it, especially because it&#8217;s exactly the critical reflective practice I envisioned accompanying an article that I co-authored last year in the Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society entitled, &#8220;Cultural Policy of the Oppressed.&#8221;\u00a0It&#8217;s also curious to me that Bush signed the ADA into law during the AIDS epidemic. We could benefit from more knowledge about how ACT UP and other like minded organized protesters enabled a reformed healthcare system that lifted the boats of all people with disabilities, even if the policy lacked an explicit regulatory agency to protect their rights, including their creative and expressive rights. Do you plan to write any more on the topic, especially centering Outsider artists?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Commenting privileges are reserved\u00a0for paid members.\u00a0Join us today!<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"now-streaming\">Now Streaming <\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-86-1.png\" class=\"kg-image\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" title=\"image-86-1\"><figcaption><span>Film still of\u00a0<\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">Secret Mall Apartment<\/em><\/i><span>\u00a0(2024), directed by Jeremy Workman (photo courtesy Wheelhouse Creative)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"a-group-of-friends-walks-into-a-mall-and-stays-for-four-years\">A Group of Friends Walks Into a Mall, and Stays for Four Years<\/h3>\n<p>Was it a crime? A prank? A work of art? A new documentary unveils the full story of an artist collective\u2019s secret mall apartment, and other ephemeral actions. | Kathy Ou<\/p>\n<hr>\n<ul class=\"post-tags\">\n<li>\n                        Daily Newsletter\n                      <\/li>\n<li>\n                        Newsletter\n                      <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"gh-card post\">\n<figure class=\"gh-card-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/nycedc-habg-rfp2025-hyperallergicannouncementad-1.jpg\" alt=\"Request for Proposals: Operator for the Harlem African Burial Ground Cultural Education Center\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"nycedc-habg-rfp2025-hyperallergicannouncementad-1\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gh-card-wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"gh-card-title is-title\">Request for Proposals: Operator for the Harlem African Burial Ground Cultural Education Center<\/h3>\n<p class=\"gh-card-excerpt is-body\">Learn about this opportunity to develop a cultural education center at the historic East Harlem site during informational sessions in January and February.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"gh-card-meta\"><span class=\"gh-card-author\">New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC)<\/span><\/footer>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"gh-card post\">\n<figure class=\"gh-card-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/madsen_maud_playthegame-1.jpeg\" alt=\"New York Academy of Art Presents \u201cChubb Fellows &amp; Friends\u201d\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"madsen_maud_playthegame-1\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gh-card-wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"gh-card-title is-title\">New York Academy of Art Presents \u201cChubb Fellows &amp; Friends\u201d<\/h3>\n<p class=\"gh-card-excerpt is-body\">Featuring past fellows alongside a broader circle of artists linked to the Academy, the show brings together work by Danica Lundy, Dana Schutz, Tschabalala Self, Amy Sherald, and more.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"gh-card-meta\"><span class=\"gh-card-author\">New York Academy of Art<\/span><\/footer>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"gh-card post\">\n<figure class=\"gh-card-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/for_which_it_stands.png\" alt=\"For Which It Stands\u2026\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"for_which_it_stands\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gh-card-wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"gh-card-title is-title\">For Which It Stands\u2026<\/h3>\n<p class=\"gh-card-excerpt is-body\">Commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States, this major loan exhibition at the Fairfield University Art Museum explores more than a century of artists taking on the American flag.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"gh-card-meta\"><span class=\"gh-card-author\">Fairfield University Art Museum<\/span><\/footer>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"gh-card post\">\n<figure class=\"gh-card-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2025_07_10_argenis_apolinario_sva_mfa_install_0463.jpg\" alt=\"Grow as an Artist Without Pressing Pause: SVA\u2019s Online MFA Art Practice\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"2025_07_10_argenis_apolinario_sva_mfa_install_0463\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gh-card-wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"gh-card-title is-title\">Grow as an Artist Without Pressing Pause: SVA\u2019s Online MFA Art Practice<\/h3>\n<p class=\"gh-card-excerpt is-body\">Interdisciplinary, online, and connected to New York\u2019s art ecosystem. Applications are due on January 15.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"gh-card-meta\"><span class=\"gh-card-author\">School of Visual Arts (SVA)<\/span><\/footer>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p> Source URL: https:\/\/hyperallergic.com\/john-yau-on-jeff-koons\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Daily Newsletter John Yau on Jeff Koons Also: Sprinkler debacle at the Studio Museum in Harlem, Ellen Harvey\u2019s lost places, and a galaxy of armor. Hyperallergic January 26, 2026\u2014 4 min read Have you ever had a \u201cbut what does it mean\u201d moment with an artwork? When you wonder if you\u2019re missing something? I had [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[69],"class_list":["post-1411781","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-hyperallergic-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1411781","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1411781"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1411781\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1411781"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1411781"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1411781"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}