Factories of Banality: The Role of Works by Jeff Koons in the Art World's Discourse of Wealth and Power

Abstract

An examination of the omnipresent relations of power within the art world, focused on marketing strategies and the process of identification and differentiation in the perception of Jeffs Koons's artworks, reveals a complex interest in Jeff Koons's personality. It shows the relationships of Koons artworks with the economy and identifies them as products of big-business transactions. It also explains how the art world produces brand equity. Such artwork is chosen to serve as a symbol of opulence and as the locus of capital. Identification, differentiation, the elite, and art commodification are the main themes explored. This is a reflection on the state of the contemporary art world.