Jeff Koons, “Gazing Ball Paintings”

Whether people love or hate Jeff Koons's work, it's hard to ignore.It could be thought of as a form of high-culture trolling, especially his latest productions. He has reprised the blue-mirrored, gazing-ball lawn ornaments that a few years ago appeared at Zwirner, paired with larger-than-life, white-plaster sculptures of classical statuary and Hummel-style figurines. Here, the same objects are tag-teamed with reproductions of paintings by Titian, El Greco, Courbet, Turner and Manet—heavyweight company, to be sure. Each gazing ball is set on a shelf at the center of its respective host, seemingly communing with the art historical past as if summoned by a fortune-teller. As is usually the case with Koons's work, it’s difficult to discern if he is kidding the viewer or just himself.