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Jeff Koons Balloon Dog Sculpture.

Appropriation artist Jeff Koons has dropped his silly lawsuit against Park Life, a San Franciso store and gallery that had the audacity to sell balloon dog bookends that vaguely resembled Koons giant, shiny balloon dog sculptures.

For the uninitiated, Koons makes a living making art from other people’s art. His oversized paintings and sculptures of The Incredible Hulk and Popeye, to name a few, sell for millions in primary and secondary markets around the world. Think Sotheby’s, Christies and dealers like Larry Gagosian.  It is a wonder that Marvel Comics and the estate of E.C. Segar, the creator of Popeye, didn’t sue Koons after he created those works. 

Koons came to his senses a few days ago, announcing that he will not pursue the case providing the store didn’t associate his name with the bookends. However, they never did.

‘As virtually any clown can attest, no one owns the idea of making a balloon dog, and the shape created by twisting a balloon into a dog-like form is part of the public domain,’ read a complaint filed in federal court  by lawyers of the gallery. 

The thing is, the store never did say the bookends were from Jeff Koons. Since being ridiculed on the blogs, the bookends are selling like crazy. Maybe Koons should look on the Urban Outfitters website for Christmas oranments cuz those shiny balloon dogs actually looks like his.

More of Koons work to come.

 

 

 

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A balloon dog sculpture book-end sold by Park Life in San Francisco

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Jeff Koons’ ‘Popeye’

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Jeff Koons’ ‘Rabbit’ sculpture.

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Jeff Koons’ ‘Hulk’.