Controversial American artist Jeff Koons is going back to school. An elementary school in Sunnyside, Queens, New York, is now offering an extracurricular art class for children inspired by the works of Koons. After all, the teachers say, the contemporary mater’s kitschy masterpieces not only appeal to the great wheeler-dealers of the artworld; but also to children. It is not entirely surprising as Koons’ seminal creations include ‘Play-doh’ and the giant balloon dog series of sculptures.
“A lot of (Koons’) work is on kid-friendly items,” parent Choi Fairbanks told New York Daily News, the founder of the Sunnyside String School, who organised the biweekly after-school art class.
The children soon got to work with Koons’ giant balloon dog sculptures – one of which became the most expensive piece by a living artist ever sold at an auction when it fetched $58 million in November – as inspiration, on Thursday, children worked to assemble painted reproductions of the balloon dogs. They also went on to make foil reproductions of Koons’ Jim Beam J.B. Turner Train.
“I like art because I can get creative,” said Zara Furlong, aged 5, to New York Daily News – the junior Contemporary artist noted that children’s book illustrator Leo Lionni was actually higher on her list of favourites than Koons . “It comes from my imagination.” She confirmed.
The art sessions are $35 a time, the ‘Let’s Explore!’ Music and Art enrichment class is held in a small classroom in the All Saints Episcopal Church on 46th St.