Jeff Koons Rabbit Experiments

Above, Makerbot prints of Zbrush model

I've been studying a lot of my favorite modern masters lately, Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro, Jean Arp and Constantin Brancusi. In so doing, I found my way to Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst and Paul McCarthy. Iconoclasts, all. In this study of Jeff Koons Rabbit I've found parallels between all of the above mentioned in terms of surface development, rhythm, volumes and underlying order. In the deformations, I am not only finding basic abstractions through twisting both acute and gentle velocities but, re-contextualize the object from what it is at it's core, a manifestation of Marcel Duchamp's "ready made" and bringing it to a more seemingly organic realm. As the reflections of Jeff and a collage of his painting swirl within the surfaces, their subjects too are trans-morphed into something that to me seems more of a chaotic organic dance out of a static origin. Of course, this effect is achieved though a very anti chaotic geometric order. Perhaps it's needless to say that this is a project that took on a life of it's own. Jeff Koon's Rabbit has somehow become one of the great art icons of my generation, Ironically, it's derived from among the cheapest of Chinese Mylar trinkets. Despite that, it has an industrial art deco sleekness to it that is executed with a Rolls Royce fit and finish.

It started as a simple modeling exercise but, as I created the reflections it began to occur to me that this might yield a new take on portraiture. For another video in which Jeff slides from one shape's surface to another within his notorious master work, please click HERE