JEFF KOONS

American artist Jeff Koons is known for his appropriation of every day items, hoovers, inflatables – turning them into fine art by placing them in art galleries, often made with some opulent shiny finish.

He gained notoriety for his ‘banality’ series –

Banality literally means “something that lacks originality, freshness, or novelty.”

As Andy Warhol said – ‘Art is whatever you can get away with’ – Koons takes this to the extreme, seeming to almost mock the Masters of Art History that spent 100’s of hours on intricate paintings.

"The art of Jeff Koons creates a world beyond taste. It rubs the least respectable mass-cultural artefacts into the noses of people brought up to think art is about the good, the true and the lofty."

Jones, J - The Guardian, 2009

Koons' work has many similarities to that of Warhol. His works also explore themes of celebrity, consumerism and iconography, for example the famous 'Michael Jackson and Bubbles' -

The artwork is made from guilded Porcelain. The pose is synonymous with the Madonna and child. This underpins the work with a sense of iconography and religious connotations, due to Jackson's notorious fame and title of 'King of Pop'.

Michael Jackson and Bubbles - Jeff Koons,1998

His style consists of high-shine, metallic, brightly coloured, expensive materials. For this, he has been called the 'King of Kitsch' - making a fortune for appropriation and vulgar aesthetic. His work screams of consumerism, opulence and in turn, waste.

Lady Gaga in front of the ArtPop sculpture of herself, created by Jeff Koons

“I try to educate people about materialism through my work. I try to show them real visual luxury. It's intoxicating visually." – Koons, 2015

He is both revered and critised in equal measure by the art world. He is by all means an attention seeker. His extravangant and exuberant work commands curiosity and scrutiny – traversing the lines between fine art and commercialism. I am inspired by the kitsch and the commentary on consumerism, can you make everyone pay attention to your work if it's shiny, or expensive enough?

ARTIST - KRISTINE CANIZA

Kristine Caniza is a jewellery designer who's work I discovered on Behance. She has hundreds of creations named 'Customised Packagings with Swarovski Crystals' - though I couldn't find a link to purchase or commission so I wonder if these are made purely as a hobby/form of expression.

The items are usually creating using food/household packaging, making the ordinary extraordinary.

There is irony in making such basic, everyday items bejewelled in such a fashion. It is the ultimate kitsch and banality to a tee. There is no doubt that this work would take hundreds of hours to create and require immense patience. I also considered the cost, as even resin diamantes and crystals can be expensive at such a volume. This work reminded me of Jeff Koons.

ARTIST - SAN B

When researching artists who use crystals in their work, I discovered London based artist San B.

His work features icons such as royalty, sportsmen and celebrities, created using Swarovski crystals.

Each piece is painstakingly mapped out and placed using 10,000+ crystals for each piece.

The detail that goes into these works is incredible. The iconic figures he uses match the opulence of the material used, signifying extreme wealth and their flashy, celebrity status.

Close up shot of a portrait featuring Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

As most pieces are commissioned and sold, there is little information regarding the price of his work.

Swarovski crystals are extremely expensive, and diamond art itself is a time-intensive laborious process.

I found one gallery that had discounted a piece from £7,995 to £3,995

Are these pieces too expensive? Or is there simply no market for 'diamond' art? Is this kitsch art form seen as tacky or LOW ART?