All snippets overheard at the Jeff Koons retrospective
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| Zeus with Sphere, Jeff Koons, blahblahblah |
--Is that it?
--No, there's one more floor.
Mother points down.
Kid in the stairwell: Can I sit on this? Is this a bench?
Two girlfriends descend.
--...just the realism!
--I mean, the craftsmanship!
Two women argue over the owner of a work.
--It's Leonard, not Ronald.
--These I like more. There's a theme to them.
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| Koons Balloon Dog |
A man approaches a guard.
Someone told me there was sculpture, he says.
It's trash! she stage-whispers.
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| Another "play" on "antiquity" |
--That would be cool in the back yard.
--I like it more than I anticipated.
--I like it more than I anticipated!
--That's a good photo.
They take photos before Hulk (Organ), Jeff Koons, 2004-2014 (not pictured)
--I liked the necklace heart, all the details.
(Re: Hanging Heart (Violet/Gold), 1994-2006 -- not pictured)
--I don't remember it.
--There's so much!
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| Guys with Kunst by Koons (subject: basketball) |
--I just keep experiencing the same feelings!
--It's the new. It's the same old thing. The vacuum cleaner is like the urinal, you know?
--It's important that one of us knows!
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| Exegesis for Gorilla |
A couple enters the "Equilibrium" section of the show.
--These were famous. This is where he really took off.
In the "New" room, vacuums in plexiglass, a girl says to her friend with a dismissive
wave and a sneer: My mother thought these were fascinating.
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| Venus of Willendorf--kinda' great, my favorite |
Suburban couple reading exegesis for Play-Doh, 1994-2014.
Out of the side of her mouth, she says, It's his latest.
He replies, Took him 20 years. They all seem to say that.
--Well, he has 120 assistants in his studio.
--Where's that? Soho, or something?
--Chelsea.
--I mean, I get it. I just couldn't come home to it every day.
--I love his stuff 'cuz it's what I would do. Take the most ridiculous stuff and the cheapest materials and--.
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| Hullabaloo over Bubbles |
Older couple descend stairs.
--Well, you saw it.
--She said she'd won only if I liked it.
Two friends inspect Woman Reclining, 2010-14
--This is crazy! Are those fins on are her legs?
--I've lost interest.
Before I left the museum, I spoke with the guard who had confessed to her friend upstairs that she had found the exhibit, "trash."
She's worked at the museum "for 18 years & 9 months."
She's worked at the museum "for 18 years & 9 months."
I asked if she'll be moving downtown to the fancy new Whitney Museum just off the Highline.
"I don't think they want me," she answered.
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| Koons's Popeye |
All photographs by Tom Eubanks.
