| Michael Jackson and Bubbles | |
|---|---|
 The artist's proof, on display atThe Broad | |
| Artist | Jeff Koons |
| Year | 1988 (1988) |
| Medium | Porcelain |
| Subject | Michael Jackson |
| Dimensions | 110 cm × 179 cm × 83 cm (42 in × 70.5 in × 32.5 in) |
Michael Jackson and Bubbles is a porcelainsculpture (42 x 70.5 x 32.5 in) by the American artistJeff Koons and manufactured in the Italian porcelain factory of Cesare Villari inSolagna, Italy.[1] It was created in 1988 within the framework of hisBanality series.
The life-sizeporcelain sculpture depicts the American singer-songwriterMichael Jackson leaning back on a flower bed.[2] On his lap reclines his domesticatedchimpanzeeBubbles who clasps a white cloth. Jackson and his pet form an optical unit. They wear similar clothing, are colored homogeneously and parts of their bodies are paralleled with each other, such as Jackson's right hand and Bubbles' paw. The sculpture has been arranged in a triangular and multi-perspective composition.
Bubbles was Jackson's domestic animal who was bought by the artist from a Texas research facility in 1983. It has been claimed by the media that he was Jackson's best and faithful friend who even joined the singer on his world tours and helped in the household.[3] Jeff Koons used a press photo of Jackson and Bubbles as a template for his sculpture.[2] It is almost identical to the artist's work except for a slight variation of the posture. Koons changed Jackson's direction of view and thus adjusted the composition to the requirements of a sculptural work which has to take into account many different viewing angles.
At the time the sculpture was created, Jackson had already become a world-famous performer. Having achieved a sales record with his albumBad, he was at the pinnacle of his career. Koons artwork can be read as a comment on the great media interest that has been directed at Jackson's life as musician and as a private person.[4]
Three of theMichael Jackson and Bubbles sculpture were made. One was sold atSotheby's on 15 May 2001, when it was auctioned off to the record price of 5.6 million dollars.[2] The artist's proof is owned by the Broad Art Foundation of businessman and art collectorEli Broad and is displayed inThe Broad in Los Angeles.[5] The two other versions are inOslo in theAstrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art[6] and in theSan Francisco Museum of Modern Art.[7]
Jeff Koons has stated that his works of art should reach the largest possible audience. For this purpose he sought inspiration inentertainment media,pop culture andChristian art. The depiction of a media effective person like Michael Jackson might have helped him to achieve this aim.[4] In the 1980s, which were characterized by a newconsumer andmedia culture, Jackson enjoyed an enormous chart success and became apop icon. Koons now overemphasized theKing of Pop's icon-like manner paralleling him withChristian icons. The artist once said about the sculpture:
I wanted to create him in a very god-like icon manner. But I always liked the radicality of Michael Jackson; that he would do absolutely anything that was necessary to be able to communicate with people.
— Jeff Koons[4]
Koons has stated that he was also inspired by the triangular composition ofMichelangelo'sPietà.[8] Furthermore, the work's material reminds of catholic mass-produced figures ofsaints which are usually manufactured inporcelain andgold leaf. Thus the sculpture becomes akitschy object that is appealing for a wide public and the art market.[9] Koons claims that he wanted to depict Jackson as a new redemptive figure who enables people to discover their own culturalmythology.[10]
Michael Jackson and Bubbles has also been read as asymbol of the human desire for self-discovery.[11] Jackson demonstrated publicly his childlike personality and tried to reinvent himself by means ofplastic surgery. Koons was fascinated by the self transformations of Jackson and the way he played with images such as himself against Bubbles.[4]
The American artistPaul McCarthy created some sculptures relating toMichael Jackson and Bubbles by Jeff Koons, e.g.Michael Jackson and Bubbles (Gold)[12] from 1997 to 1999 (today in the Christian Flick Collection) orMichael Jackson Fucked Up (Big Head)[13] from 2002.
In 2012 theLiebieghaus in Frankfurt attracted attention displayingMichael Jackson and Bubbles next to Egyptianmummies and thus established an aesthetic and ironic dialogue between the objects.[14]
