The National Gallery of Australia has a new acquisition by American artist, Jeff Koons.
Donated by Steve and Kylie Shelley, Koons’ work, Balloon Venus Dolni Vestonice (Yellow) is a 2.7-metre-high sculpture made of highly polished stainless steel with a yellow finish.
Koons was in town on Wednesday for the official unveiling of the acquisition and is very first artist to visit the National Gallery as part of the American Friends of the National Gallery of Australia’s Visiting Creatives Program.
His huge Neo-Pop sculptures, often with mirrored surfaces, draw on different objects and traditions, from baroque statues to household appliances.
The donated sculpture is part of Koons’ Antiquity series and is one of five versions of the art work, the others executed in violet, magenta, red and orange.
“I always enjoyed working with a metallic surface because it reflects us and affirms us. Art is within the viewer; it’s about your essence and your own potential,” Koons said.
Balloon Venus Dolni Vestonice (Yellow) 2013-17, on display at the National Gallery of Australia.
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