The latest work of popular American artist Jeff Koons was caught in a controversy: It appears to be a copy of a figurine by a late Ukrainian artist.
Koons installed his 13-meter-high inflatable sculpture of a ballerina, “Seated Ballerina” next to the Rockefeller Center in the very heart of Manhattan earlier in May. It pictures a ballerina seating on an ottoman and adjusting a dancing shoe. The work is meant to raise awareness of child abduction and was commissioned by cosmetics producer Kiehl’s.
However, it was soon noticed that the sculpture strongly resembles a famous porcelain figurine by Ukrainian sculptor Oksana Zhnikrup, who worked for the Art Ceramics Factory in Kyiv and died in 1993.
Koons representatives told the Kyiv Post in an emailed comment that the artist has a license to use the ballerina. A grandson of Zhnikrup told Ukrainian TV news show TSN that the artists’ representatives got a permission to use two of her works, including the ballerina, back in 2010.
In the publicity materials, Koons said his “Seated Ballerina” was inspired by a statuette found at a Russian factory at the turn of the 20th century.
“‘Seated Ballerina’ is like a Venus. It is really about beauty and even a sense of contemplation, a sense of ease,” he was quoted as saying.
Lado Pochkhua, a New-York based artist from Sukhumi, capital of the breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia, was the first one to find the striking similarity between Koons’ ballerina and the one by Zhnikrup.
Pochkhua posted photos of both sculptures on his Facebook page for comparison: Zhnikrup`s porcelain figurine, called “Ballerina Lenochka on an Ottoman,” designed in 1974, and the piece by Koons. The resemblance was obvious: Koons’ sculpture repeats Zhnikrup’s in every detail, up to the decoration of the ottoman.
Some also posted the pictures of Zhnikrup`s figurine under Koons’ initial post about his sculpture, blaming him for plagiarism.
The “Seated Ballerina” is the third artwork by Koons to be exhibited in the Rockefeller Centre. He already exhibited “Puppy” in 1992 and “Split-Rocker” in 2000.
Pochkhua said he was offended by the copying and believed that Koons used this statue simply because no one has ever heard of Zhnikrup and her artworks.
“Koons is just a middle-aged American man with shiny smile of a successful lawyer. The future of his art is oblivion,” Pochkhua told the Kyiv Post.
Today, Koons is one of the world’s most financially successful artists. His work “Balloon Dog (Orange)” sold for $58.4 million in 2013, breaking the record as the most expensive work by a living artist.
Koons is known to recreate pre-existing images and mundane items in his works. He has been sued several times for copyright infringement.
The first copyright infringement lawsuit against Koons was filed in 1988 by photographer Art Rogers.
Koons found Rogers’ black-and-white photograph, “Puppies,” on a postcard. He got inspired and made a sculpture based on the image for an art show called “The Banality Show.” Koons then lost the lawsuit.
In almost 20 years, another infringement lawsuit was filed against Koons. Fashion photographer Andrea Blanch sued Koons for copying a part of her photograph, “Silk Sandals by Gucci,” in his painting called “Niagara.”
“Niagara” was part of a series of seven billboard-sized paintings for Koons’ show called “Easyfun-Ethereal.” That time, Koons won the case: his work was found to be of the fair use.
The “Seated Ballerina” statue will stay near the Rockefeller center until June 2.
